


Sons of Fortune

by RubixaSeraph



Series: Fortune Favors the Bold [1]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: A hopefully less messed up Fortuna, Childhood, Childhood Friends, Children, Comical Misunderstandings, Dadgil, Drama, Eva and Sparda's relationship, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Light Angst, Pregnancy, Romance, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:27:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 95,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24039628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RubixaSeraph/pseuds/RubixaSeraph
Summary: “In a Different Twist of Time,Fate and Fortune do Entwine.”Eva couldn’t be certain if it were a blessing that her children were by her side the day Mundus sent demons to bring their demise. She could only count on the end result, which was that they survived by a thread.Though Vergil and Dante’s physical wounds healed, their emotional wounds needed careful tending to. For that, she made the only decision that may give her the chance to let her children live without entirely hiding: to move to Fortuna.Living in Fortuna will have its trials. Eva never expected to be ironing out problems in the city in which her husband once ruled. And in between her giving the Order’s upper echelon the occasional verbal shakedown, and offering her magical and occult expertise where she deemed safe, being a single mother to two half-devil children was another challenge in itself.In which: Vergil doesn’t have abandonment issues but is still not always as smart as he thinks he is. Dante doesn’t spend most of his life depressed but is still too free-spirited. And Eva is just trying her best.
Relationships: Dante & Vergil (Devil May Cry), Dante (Devil May Cry)/Original Female Character(s), Nero's Mother/Vergil (Devil May Cry), Vergil (Devil May Cry)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Fortune Favors the Bold [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839355
Comments: 137
Kudos: 128





	1. A Future in the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Contains concepts and elements from my “Reignite” series, such as OCs and headcanons. Knowledge of “Reignite” is not required. Main goal of this AU: indulgent happy things and drama.]
> 
> Welcome! First thing: updates of this fic may not be as regular as that of my “Reignite” series, because “Reignite” is my baseline for solidifying my headcanons and concepts. 
> 
> I debated on trying to keep my OCs out of this, but this is already an AU, I simply hope that my additions will be enjoyable. <3 And of course, there might be a lot of canon twisting… because this is an AU~
> 
> Also I do apologize if chapter one is a little droll; I didn’t realize how much setup I needed for this AU; I tried to be short with it and as sweet as possible. I mean it. Needed to douse this thing with some sugar, so that I could get to the more fun things.

The powers of a witch were often determined by a large factor of things. Skill, will, intelligence, innate ability… no singular trait was the be-all-end-all on what makes a powerful witch. 

But a large factor, the greatest double-edged sword that made a witch a _witch_ , was pact-making. 

Contracts with demon familiars were the most common means for a witch to gain access to power.

Contracts with devils, however… were often a different story. It is hard to truly outsmart a devil. 

Well, in Eva’s case, her contract with a devil might be the most unorthodox contract a witch has ever signed in history. 

Eva and _Spencer’s_ contract was plainly and simply a marriage certificate. Filed in the government building of Redgrave. Nothing more than that. Just a slip of paper, where the only power between them was love, and trust.

And for a solid amount of years, she had a blissfully domestic (though often still unconventional) life with the Legendary Devil Swordsman Sparda, and eventually their children. 

But then everything fell apart. 

It’s been almost five days since the attack. Her house, though still standing, was burnt to the point of being not liveable without heavy renovations. 

She knew that they could no longer return here, however. Even if she fixed up the house, it wouldn’t fix the broken hearts of her children. And it wouldn’t fix her heart, either. 

She reflected upon all that had happened as she gathered what she could find, what she deemed important: A few books that she recognized were dear to her children, or perhaps simply useful; the warded lockbox that Spencer had said he kept important things throughout the ages in. 

The last few days, despite surviving the attack, had not been kind. 

Eva didn’t even want to remember the devastating bloody scene of that day. 

No mother should go through seeing her children bloody and dying. Even if Vergil and Dante had healed from the physical wounds, she knew that the event was sure to mar her sons’ souls for the rest of their lives. Forced to finally explain their true heritage (when they had already slowly begun to suspect their differences from other children) to the boys, she received mixed responses, and both made her heart ache. 

While Vergil was accepting of the truth that his father was a Devil, he immediately sought to blame himself for his lack of power. Though they survived, Vergil knew everything went down very poorly. At the moment, no amount of convincing from Eva has truly soothed her firstborn’s self-loathing. Perhaps he took Spencer’s expectations to heart a little too much… despite there having been the same amount of expectation of responsibility on Dante. 

And Dante… Well, Dante wailed about his father having abandoned them, and it broke Eva’s heart. (She thought about it, over and over again… maybe she should have convinced Spencer to stay. She should have protested against him leaving. It wasn’t doubt that was in her heart… it was regret. Her trust was true, but no one could tell the future.) 

So while she could only hope that Vergil understood how important it was for him to promise her to listen to her and not do anything reckless, Dante’s readily made agreement that he won’t let people know about his inhuman abilities was no better…

Because now there was an even greater rift between her children, where Vergil wanted to reach towards whatever power he had the means to grasp in order to be stronger than they were now, and Dante would rather shun a part of his heritage that he could never be rid of. 

And they were only eight years old. 

No child should have to go through such emotional torment, no matter the age. And what was a mother to do?

She needed time to help them. She needed someplace safe for them. But with them having been attacked, even if she hoped that Spencer was fine, there was no guarantee to that. Without him, they were likely to be in further danger.

She will not lose hope, but right now, she had to work with what she had, and not with anything that was not guaranteed. 

Packing up what items she decided to take, Eva made her way back to the hotel they were currently staying at, her heart heavy. 

* * *

To her relief, she came back to the hotel room to find her children napping. Of course, if something had happened, she would have known, but she needed the peace and quiet to decide what to do, next. 

Nowell perked his ears up when she returned. The large black wolf-familiar that was curled about the twins on the bed they currently shared barely passed for a dog, but most people were easily fooled. Besides, he had been her familiar for many years, and was perfectly docile when commanded to be. 

“Thank you, Nowell.” She told him softly and ran her fingers through his fur, giving him some head scratches at the same time. Nowell happily thumped his tail against the bed a few times, and then licked her hand. She felt through their connection that he was concerned for her, but happy that she was back.

Settling into one of the chairs, Eva began to carefully sift through the items she had brought back, starting with the books. The lockbox was going to have to wait. She knew exactly what it needed to open, and she wasn’t about to ask her children for any drop of blood in the absence of her husband, so soon after the attack. 

She recognized one of the books as Vergil’s favorite William Blake collection. That one, she got up and gently set it on the nightstand by the bed. When she went back to sit down and look at the next book in the stack, she realized it was the book Spencer had been using to teach Vergil how to care for the Yamato. 

The entire thing was written in an East-Asian language. Flipping through it, it was plain to her that Spencer hadn’t meant for this to be material to make Vergil study on his own. There were useful diagrams and illustrations in it for practice stances and such, of course—

And then a letter of several pages that was being used as a bookmark fell out. 

It was made of paper of really nice quality; bamboo paper, she realized. Shaking it open, she perused the opening lines:

> _Spencer,_
> 
> _It’s not often to receive your correspondence so soon within merely a decade, but if I hadn’t heard from you within another five years or so, I would have been very disappointed in you. It would have meant you either forgot to keep me in the loop, or that I would have to tease you for keeping an empty nest. But thank you for sending me a photograph— a coloured one, at that!_

Eva stopped reading. She had recalled two instances where her husband ordered an extra copy of a photograph to send to an old friend. The first one was of them; a wedding photo, technically. The second one was of the twins, barely a week old. 

So this letter was from Lance. “Aegis” of the Lance and Shield; devil, foe-turned-friend, stuck on an island, linked to a Hellgate. Spencer had told her of the response of congratulations, but she had never read or heard the exact contents of the letter itself. Though this might have not been the best circumstances for it…

She glanced over. Vergil and Dante were still asleep, with Nowell curled up at Vergil’s back. 

Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to take a moment and read this almost eight year old letter, and recall the past just a bit. 

> _I’ll be keeping this photo with the other little souvenirs you’ve sent me._
> 
> _They look remarkably like you. Of course, I speak of your sealed form. I’m sure you need not be reminded from me, as you have witnessed from your visits before, that there will come a time in which they will manifest that which is inherited from you. If you have not warned your Lady Eva of this yet, you may wish to broach this topic, sooner rather than later. Though would I be correct in assuming that the fair lady knew well what deal she was getting, in wedding you?_

Lance’s assumption would be correct. Her life as a witch would be short-lived if she didn’t look before she leapt. Though she had to admit, she didn’t think healthy children were a boon they would receive, but when it had happened, Spencer had a glow of awe and wonderment about him for the next eight years, up until he thought he must leave. (“I knew of the possibility. I knew of a Devil who had a few children with humans in the past. But I cannot say for certain if he is an example of what all Devils are capable of. He and I are truthfully from two very different bloodlines.” Eva had an inkling now that Spencer was speaking of Lance.)

But her heart did ache at the thought of how her sons did not get to grow into their abilities and heritage naturally. She had seen the manifestation of their demonic selves that day they were attacked… blue and red fire, claw, carapace, and scale. It was never meant to be like this… before the attack, Vergil and Dante’s abilities developed slowly but naturally. They healed fast from small wounds, and didn’t bruise easily, but that ability was never put to harsh test. Vergil had, on occasion, developed elongated fangs when he got into too-heated a fight with Dante. And Dante, having been the more out-going and active child, sometimes manifested rough patches on his skin when he was about to scrape his knee or arm against something from being haphazard. 

Trying to shake the unpleasant thoughts from her head, she continued reading:

> _But do let me congratulate you with this gift. I trust you remember how to read it? Consider it a small payback, for you sending me an entire cookbook written in Italian. I’m certain you will wish to teach your sons how to wield the sword. How quaint it is that, with the splitting of your power, you keep with you still the Yamato and the Rebellion, and now you have twin legacies to hand them over to? Of course, there may come a day where you will find a bittersweet taste upon your tongue when the blades are returned to you. I never fail to feel the pain of when the Ralthawar is returned unto me… but we have agreed already, that love is worth the pain._
> 
> _But enough of that. I’m afraid this is the only book I have that may be of use to you. You created from your deadly innate ability to cut and slice, a beautiful katana… completely and utterly different from that of the Rebellion or your Devil Sword. I’m afraid, with where I am on perpetual house arrest, I have no material to offer on the care and use of a blade such as the Rebellion. But seeing as you live in Europe, I’ll hold the belief that you will have that covered._

Eva, like any concerned mother, was somewhat leery about Spencer introducing the boys to the Yamato and the Rebellion so early. However, the truth was that neither of them knew when it would be too early. She was no fool; the sword training was inevitable. But it was a delicate balance between when to treat them like human children, and when to acclimate them to their undeniable demonic natures. 

She was a little surprised, however, when Spencer had admitted to her that he didn’t know much of a thing about raising devils, either. The Dark Knight Sparda, millenia in age, never had a mate? Of course, most denizens of the Underworld don’t particularly _raise_ young, but powerful ones may instill some manner of taught discipline in that which they sire. 

Though they would not be the first disciples of Sparda, Vergil and Dante were the first progeny… and Eva never thought before that she would be the mother of the Dark Knight’s first brood? It seemed both insignificant and yet magnificent to her… to them both. 

She briefly wondered what manner of family Lance had going on for him. She should have asked Spencer for more information on his one friend that was kind enough to send congratulatory gifts. 

But of course, leave it to a devil to send books on swords instead of childcare to a new father.

> _On the topic of where you reside, is this your new permanent address? What manner of city is Redgrave that you and your lady love would prefer to live there as opposed to someplace more scenic? I would have expected that you would take your family to Fortuna. It has been a long time since you’ve checked up on that gate, no? Besides, your knightly order may still be there. But I suppose you wouldn’t have wanted your family living about the gate. It’s not the worst, if you ask me, of course. By the way, the gate here has been as quiet as a mouse, as a human would say._

Fortuna…

Eva suddenly recalled the island city in which Spencer had mentioned once or twice. He didn’t talk about the place very much. She knew that he had ruled there once, a long time ago. That there was a gate on that island, where he had initially established the city with people whom he hoped would be able to watch over the gate. 

Sparda had, after placing the major seal down to separate the Underworld and the human world, travelled in search of other points in the fabric between worlds in order to anchor down and seal any other holes. It was a double-edged sword… an established gate meant that the tear between worlds was anchored and marked at a specific location, where demons both big and small will try to fall through or tear through. But in doing so, that meant it could be monitored. 

Still, over the course of 2000 years, it became clear that there was never a perfect solution. Gates were established and torn down, and even a legendary devil such as he could not permanently close off the connection between the worlds. The truth to the realities is that, though separated by a veil, the worlds will forever be connected. 

Spencer said that, though it felt like a good idea at the time, he wasn’t certain if establishing Fortuna really panned out for the long term. He had not been back in a very long time, but he also had not heard of any catastrophe from the island, either. As time went on, and as most of the world became blind to the existence of demons, it felt almost… wrong, to attempt to go back to the city and claim to be their ruler again. 

Eva had no wish to become more than what she already was, and never cared to ask her husband more about his time as a Lord of Fortuna. But at this very moment… maybe, just maybe, the city still stood in its glory, and would be a safe haven for her children. 

There was the question, however, on if their heritage should or must be known. It might be dangerous, or it might bring… social complications. But such a place also may include a vast store of information; occultic knowledge that she hadn’t felt the need to seek out before. She may be a witch, but she became one because she was not blind to the supernatural. The amount of power and knowledge she had sought out… she had her end goal, and for the most part, she had achieved it. To provide a certain amount of relief to those affected by the unexplainable, sometimes to assist with the hunters that were now few and far between…

Marrying a Devil of Legends was not part of her end goals, but one she was happy to have arrived at, no matter the cost that his legacy might have brought. 

She made her decision then. She will seek out Fortuna. Even if it may not be a place to live for the long term, maybe she would find things that may help her protect her sons better. Maybe even help her find Spencer. 

She skimmed through the rest of the letter, hoping to find more information of interest. But Lance’s letter was simply a social letter. The rest of it was about his own family; his wards, apparently. She found it a little sweet that this devil, tied to a hellgate in East-Asia, spoke so fondly of the children he took care of. She suspected that these children would be descendants of his own line. A photo was supposedly sent with the letter, of his “eldest ward” and her twins, with talk of an impending child. It wasn’t among the papers, but she wouldn’t be surprised if Spencer had put it away in his lockbox. 

She smiled softly at the ending of the letter:

> _I find it delightful that we have matching sets. [YuFeng] and [YuYing] have my family’s typical dark hair. (I suspect June’s new child will have lighter hair, however.) Do come visit with your family at some point? I am excited at the prospect of proper play dates, where I need not fret over the possibility of someone getting maimed._

She should not have found that funny, but she did. Devil families didn’t have it any easier than human ones, did they? Ah, well…

If Fortuna doesn’t pan out, maybe she could seek out this devil for a safe place for her children? But she would rather not resort to that. But a visit? Vergil and Dante may need friends and peers who live with similar burdens, so in the future, that could be an idea. 

For now, she re-folded the letter and placed it back between the pages of the book. There was work to be done. 

* * *

For the next week, Eva used every trick she had up her sleeves to find out what she could about Fortuna. Mainland society as a whole could only tell her that, yes, there was an island named Fortuna not far from Italy. However, she couldn’t find out anything else beyond the fact that the city of Fortuna is isolated, closed off, and is the home to a religious order called the Order of the Sword. 

And they worship Sparda as a Saviour and god. 

Well, that… complicated a few things. 

But with her abilities as a witch, through scrying and other means, she had gathered that the society of Fortuna, though weary of strangers, are not entirely unwelcoming so long as you prove yourself to be like-minded and trustworthy. That wasn’t an impossible standard, but she will need to play her cards right. Even if, by all relations, she would be the ladyship of the city, and her sons, nobility, she would rather not use such drastic means.

The castle still stands, however. Warded and protected. She would have to arrive in person in order to see if she could break it. If she could gain access to it, it could have its uses, first and foremost as a home. If not, she would not mind settling for a decent apartment. Whatever she could take, so long as it’s _stable_. 

She needed to work fast, however. As the days went on, she could see how her sons had been affected by the traumatic event. They hardly slept, until their bodies finally gave in to it. Vergil never let go of the Yamato, the katana too large for him still. And the same could be said of the Rebellion. Dante didn’t hang on to it as closely as Vergil did with his keepsake, but it was never far, either. 

She could only imagine why they refused to sleep. Why they tried to never wish for her to leave their line of sight. 

They were afraid. And as a mother, she had never felt so inadequate in her life. For even her life would never be enough to ward away the forces of Mundus. (And a fearful part of her thought that perhaps even Sparda’s life would not be enough. No, she knew it would not be enough. But she will not let that knowledge seal the fate of her hope for her husband’s return. For Spencer must return… he must… for her, and for their sons.)

* * *

A little bit of witch’s magic, and some well-bought fabric, Eva made for Vergil and Dante a set of hooded coats. Of course, blue for Vergil, and Red for Dante. 

“Where are we going, mother?” Vergil asked, intuition telling him that they were leaving Redgrave soon. 

“Towards the future, Vergil.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead. “To where I will find us a new home, as we wait for your father to return.” She could make no promises, and she certainly wasn’t going to simply wait. But for now, she must keep it simple for them. 

“Waiting will not get him back…” Vergil said softly. 

“Waiting only means he’s still not here.” Dante looked away. Eva pulled his gaze back with a kiss to his forehead, also. 

“Trust in me, children. Come with me, and let us find a new home. A place where we can be safe. Where you can grow, and become stronger. And when your father returns, you can show him your love and your grievances both. But you can only do that if you be good. If you stay with me.” _If you survive._ Because only in surviving would there be any future. 

She pulled them both close into her embrace. 

“You won’t ever leave us, right?” Vergil asked softly. 

“We won’t leave you!” Dante promised. 

How could the same expectations sound like two vastly different things?

“Family stays together, my children. Even when far apart, family will always try to stay together. Not even Hell can separate family. We will fight for each other, to hell and back.” _But please don’t die trying. Please don’t die trying…_

Dante could never truly hold back tears. But Eva knew that even if Vergil did not shed tears, he wasn’t any less heartbroken on the inside. 

* * *

The journey by bus and then by boat was a trying one. Magic concealed the weapons, but there was also the matter of asking her children to behave on a long journey from the UK to the coasts of Italy. 

Despite the pain they had suffered, a bored Dante spells trouble. At some point, her little hellion caused enough fuss on the bus that it drew the attention of others… but then one of the elderly ladies on the bus found him endearing and gave him strawberry and caramel candies, which placate him for a good while. He shared them with his brother, who wasn’t impressed by the younger’s behaviour… but ate the candies anyway. Eventually, sleep won out against days of insomnia again, and the twins fell asleep with Vergil leaned into Dante’s shoulder, and Dante’s head against his. 

At least, that was simply one of the bus rides. They made several stops at hotels overnight.

The short ferry ride, however, was a different story. With room for the boys to run around on, it meant Dante goaded Vergil into a game of tag. It was a rare moment since the day they were attacked. Time managed to heal just a bit of their wounds… probably also because the twins felt some relief in knowing they will be arriving at their destination soon. Even Vergil, for all his calm and collected demeanor, was still a child who needed to be active. 

But eventually, as they neared Fortuna, Eva had to reign them in, and reminded them to keep their hoods up. 

* * *

True to what she had gathered, the citizens in the castle town turned heads, able to tell immediately that they were outsiders. 

But Eva had to press on. 

Dante gazed about curiously, and could barely contain his questions. Even Vergil looked about with some manner of curiosity. 

Through the city, then out the gates. It was a bit of a trek, and eventually, she called upon Nowell. Nowell had long since gotten used to playing pony, and with Vergil and Dante upon his back, they eventually made their way to the drawbridge. 

The castle was large. She knew it was going to be too big for her needs, but that was a problem for another time. Right now, she could feel the wards preventing entry. And the twins could feel it, too. 

“Mom? Is something wrong?” Dante asked as they were paused at the large doors. 

“Everything is fine, sweetie. I believe… well, we would need to open these wards before we could open these doors.”

“Mother.”

Vergil’s soft voice asked for her, and she turned to see him clutching the Yamato. “The Yamato… is reacting.”

She glanced at the sword, and then back at the door with its wards. 

Of course. 

It was so simple. 

She already had the key.

* * *

Of course there would be a gaudy giant portrait of Sparda in the main hall. She loved Spencer, but she also couldn’t deny that this painting was too old and not to taste of the modern day. 

Even devils can have habits and preferences that were hard to break, especially one with 2000 years of living in the human world. 

She recalled the family portrait day. Getting the twins (yes, Vergil included) to stay still enough for it was a nightmare she didn’t want to repeat. 

Her husband had agreed that in the future, they will make better use of the invention of photography. 

* * *

On the first night, Eva tired herself out with magic usage. Though well-preserved, the lack of residents meant there was a lot of dust to deal with. Spencer… well, Sparda, had kept a lot of latent magic running through the castle, and she took advantage of what was already in place, fixing up wards that kept the castle safe, whooshing away dust, and checking if the utilities still ran. Eventually, she found the master bedroom, and the auxiliary bedrooms. 

For now, only the master bedroom was immediately usable, and she wouldn’t have it any other way right now. Vergil asked tentatively if this was going to be their new home. 

“It could be. Do you like it?”

“It’s very empty…” 

She wondered if he meant something different by it. Vergil was often a little hard to read, even for an 8 year old. 

“It’s very big.” Dante commented. “I like it. But do you like it, mom?”

“I can come to like it, so long as you two do.”

* * *

The next morning, just like she expected, she found Holy Knights at the doorstep. 

...With the current Vicar present. Curious. 

She instructed her children to remain in the bedroom with Nowell, and greeted her guests with trepidation that she would not wear in her appearance. 

She had to win this fight, win the favor. Everything was going to hinge here. And she will not show weakness. 

It wasn’t a role she wanted to play, but it was time to become the Lady of the Castle. 

* * *

Leo did not expect for his career to ever contain something so surreal as being told that something broke through the wards and barriers about _Fortuna Castle_. 

He was barely a few months into his position as the new Supreme General, since Sanctus’ retirement from the position. There has been talk that Sanctus was preparing for the possibility of vying for the position of Vicar, should the current one finally decide to retire, or fell ill. Leo felt like he hadn’t even properly broken in his new uniform yet, either. The days passed and it still felt ill-fitted to him. 

And here he was, with a handful of the best officers of the Holy Knights, at the doorstep to the castle that was said to once be the place in which the Saviour had resided. 

His Holiness believed that it was a sign. Of what? No one could say. 

Leo could only assume what everyone else was thinking: that perhaps Sparda had returned. 

But no one had prepared him for the sight of a woman opening the doors. 

“I see that I have visitors. Welcome. Or perhaps, you are here to welcome those who may have taken up residence in this castle…”

Many questions surrounded everyone’s minds. Who was she? How did she get in? What relation might she have with Sparda?

“I’m sure you have your questions. And I have mine. But I am but a mother with her two young children, seeking respite with hopes that it will be offered fairly. I cannot have all of your knights enter, lest your presence bring distress to my sons. We have been through a lot, and I will not see them try to take up their blades again so soon. So, Your Holiness… Please, come in, with one other of your choosing.”

* * *

“Sparda will not be returning yet. I am here because he will be away.”

She… no, Lady Eva, had said it so plainly and painfully. Leo had reasons to doubt, just like any other sane person. But her story, and her negotiations, were plain and simple. 

She had told them, by and large, how much bigger the world truly was. Beyond Fortuna, there were other Hellgates, erect and torn down over the centuries. She explained to them both the admirable yet futile struggle of fully separating Hell from their world. But she also explained to them the meaning behind such struggle. 

She had a riveting discussion with His Holiness over Sparda’s reason for protecting humanity, and then put the Order’s purpose into question:

“A lot can happen in the course of 2000 years. Sparda believed that in anchoring down points in the veil, then it could be more controlled, and thus be monitored. It was partially successful, but ultimately impossible to achieve across the entire fabric of reality. Regardless, he had erected the gate here, and founded this city, with this order that has now developed into an order of faith. An order he had hoped would keep the gate from being misused. An order to monitor this gate, and slay all that may use it to threaten the fabric between realities. Tell me, in the past centuries since he had left, do you still subscribe to that purpose?”

Leo thought his knuckles would turn white, from how his hands trembled at the audacity of her words, and the sheer impossibility of the situation at hand. 

But His Holiness took her words calmly, and slowly, the story unfolded. 

And eventually, two pairs of curious eyes were caught staring at them, for children were not often obedient, especially children who feared for their mother’s safety. 

They held within their hands blades that were impossible to not recognize. The weapons were too large in their hands, yet the scene and image of the children with the Yamato and Rebellion was hard to laugh at, because the sight alone instilled some sort of instinct that those weapons _belonged_ to those boys. 

And if the devil arms weren’t proof of their ties as Sparda’s legacy, then their appearance only told more of it. 

So Leo became introduced to Vergil and Dante. And the rest of the years of his career, should he ever regale them in his old age to the younger generations, would be best described as: the career of the Supreme General who spent more time babysitting knights than anything else. 

That was a lie. But it was a good joke to tell, because many many years later, it always got a laugh out of Dante, and at least a smirk out of Vergil. 

* * *

Lady Eva did not want to be revered as some sort of saint. In fact, she had hoped that her connection with Sparda would be mentioned as little as possible. Of course, Leo could already see how impossible that was going to be. The twins were too distinctive; not only will they attract attention, but even their mother admitted that their heritage cannot be repressed. The secret she wished to keep will become the worst kept secret, ever. 

But he supposed she would rather figure out how to cross that bridge, later. For now, she had agreed to offer her services in the form of occult knowledge and skill. Though science itself has proven it uses, there were still many things that required a magical touch. Many a demon would inflict wounds that were not simply of physical nature…

And so, Lady Eva became employed in the order as their Healer and Researcher. 

And soon she became known as “The Lady of the Castle.”

Within a month, the combination of her kindness and her intriguing nature brought her an acceptable amount of acceptance in the community. People, of course, talked. But she was often cryptic enough with her answers that no one could truly be certain of what they suspect. That is, for now. 

* * *

One day, Eva thought to ask Leo: “General Leo. Might I ask if you have recommendations for physicians or doctors that can be trusted with confidentiality?”

Her question had clearly surprised him. She had learnt that the young man was barely 23 and new to his promotion, but for her, that was a blessing in itself. He had eventually become sympathetic to her story, though rightfully skeptic at first. An older and stricter general of the knights might not have been as yielding. 

Leo ran a gloved hand nervously through his auburn hair, and said: “It depends, milady. Do you need a specialist? Or general practice? Would… would a nurse do?”

“Do you have a specific nurse to recommend, then, that would keep their tongue from spilling secrets that are not theirs to tell?” She could tell that he had someone on his mind. “I may be well versed in healing, but I am no doctor. I wish for someone I can trust to look over my sons. Though they have never been sick before, and they heal fast, I still wish for some manner of checkup for them, so that I have documentation of a baseline of their health.”

She was right in thinking that he had someone in mind already. He recommended to her, Nova. He told Eva that she was a nurse for a general practitioner, and that Nova was also the nurse on call for one of the orphanages. 

The way he spoke of her, was like he wanted Eva to trust and like Nova. He offered to introduce them. 

Nova was a lovely brunette, with bright eyes, a soft face, and a gentle smile that was sure to soothe a child’s tears. She was introduced to Eva the day of being mentioned, as she had stopped by the Order’s city offices with a small basket of what Eva could only presume was food, which she had handed to Leo. 

The nurse had a light blush on her cheeks. 

The Supreme General was a little bit shy about her. 

And Eva tried to hide a smile as she told herself that it’s too early to be meddling in the affairs of the townsfolk. 

* * *

“Hello Vergil. Hello Dante.” Nova got down to be as eye-level as she could with the twins as she greeted them. “Would you let me give you a checkup today?”

Eva had told her that she had never taken the children to any doctors before, so she wasn’t certain how they would react to the process itself. Though Dante would probably abide by most of it with energy and maybe enthusiasm, Vergil might be obstinate about it. 

She tried to explain to the boys why the checkup was needed. But…

“We don’t need to be checked. We don’t get hurt. Or sick.” Vergil stated plainly. 

“Are you sure you’ve never gotten hurt before? Or is it that you don’t stay hurt?” Nova asked softly. She was appraised of what had happened to the children. 

Dante, blessed with his bubbly personality, reached his arms out and said with a smile: “You can give me a checkup, Miss nurse! Verge just doesn’t want to admit weakness!”

“It’s not—! We never had problems before! I’m fine! I don’t need to be looked at!” 

Eva went to kneel behind her boys, and placed her hands about their shoulders. “Boys. Let Miss Nova take a look, for me, please?” She said it more for Vergil than for Dante. “You’re still young, and growing. And it’s time I make sure to take note of your health, okay? Because I love you both, and this will be important in the future. We can grab a treat on the way home afterwards, okay?”

Nova smiled at the family: “If you don’t mind taking a recommendation, my mentor takes her daughter to the cafe just two blocks from the practice for ice cream a lot. I’m sure they would like that?”

Dante didn’t need to hear it twice, before immediately asking if he could have a strawberry sundae. 

“Dante, we won’t be going anywhere for ice cream until we get our check ups done…” Vergil was already furrowing his brow in frustration at his twin’s attention span. But he also added afterwards: “I don’t have to share one with him, do I? I want chocolate…”

* * *

At the cafe, Eva finally felt like she was smiling genuinely again, as she watched her boys partake in their ice cream. Dante ended up wanting chocolate drizzle over his strawberry sundae purely because Vergil wanted chocolate ice cream. Yet still, the younger tried to steal a spoonful from the elder, and the two had a fight with their spoons before Eva lightly chided them. 

Eventually, Vergil allowed Dante a bite of his ice cream, while stealing a strawberry off of his brother’s sundae in “exchange.” 

Vergil used to fight Dante to the bitter end, hardly yielding unless Eva or Spencer finally stepped in. 

She was still disheartened and worried over her husband’s disappearance from their lives, but now things might be settling down, and this is what she had to move forward with. It broke her heart that it took for near-death experiences for Vergil to be a little less critical about his brother… she had seen the way he cried over Dante when the younger took longer to wake up from that nightmare of blood and fire. And at the same time, Dante had subtly changed, too. Energetic he might be, but he actually yielded to Vergil’s protests on his behavior a little better.

All they had was each other. And maybe for the rest of their lives, they will only have each other. They were children who were hardly part of either world. 

But Eva will build their future here, in Fortuna. In a piece of Sparda’s past, she will raise their children within his legacy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I love the idea of Eva being an Umbral Witch, but too much thinking had to be involved for me to twist that together, when this AU on its own has its twists. So I tried to keep things simple.  
> \- I thought long and hard on if Sparda and Eva had an actual pact going on, but then I decided that couldn’t be the case unless they broke it before he left… because my interpretation is that if there were a pact, then Eva should have some sort of power that came with it. Sure, I could say that it wasn’t enough power in canon, but ultimately, I’m also in the belief that if the demon involved in the contract dies, then the pact markings will dissolve. And I don’t want Eva to be 100% certain that her husband is dead. I just don’t. (And I haven’t decided yet if he lives to show up in this fic.)  
> \- While I could explain why, even with a large wolf familiar and with magic, that Eva didn’t survive in canon, I don’t think the details are needed. It’s unfortunately possible, is what I’m saying.  
> \- Here are things I think I understand: Fortuna Castle was frozen and all messed up because of that false hell-gate erected there. So it’s probably in a lot better condition at the moment than it was in the game. Also a lot less stuff is messed up so there’s a lot more safe travel routes out of the city. And game-design does not always equal practicality, so let’s all re-imagine the castle to be something liveable.  
> \- I don’t know how much of this is me actually twisting canon, but I’d like to think that the Order of the Sword wasn’t ALWAYS deranged. So the full secret lab thing hasn’t been built in its entirety yet.  
> \- So I guess I think Dante’s “charm” comes from a history of being a sweet kid. Go figure.


	2. Complimentary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Devil or Human; must they choose?
> 
> In which some conflicts would be resolved early, because nothing is impossible without family.

Two months of being in Fortuna went by fast, and surprisingly smoothly. 

With a bit of magic and help from her familiars, she managed to straighten out a good deal of the castle. During this process, she made a deal with her boys: stay with her, help where they are allowed to, and when everything was done, they could go out for ice cream again. 

Surprisingly, when Eva had asked: "Would you two like to share this room, or should we clean out both of these rooms that are side by side?" 

Vergil said: "It would be easier to share a room, right?"

Dante immediately ran in to the right side, and said: "I want this side!"

Vergil then tugged at Eva's dress, and asked: "Can we paint the room half and half?"

And that was exactly what they did. Deep blue on Vergil's side, and a nice red for Dante. 

Two years ago, the twins (specifically Vergil) had often complained about sharing a room whenever they fought. 

But now, Eva noticed that Vergil was putting up with more of Dante's antics, and did not let his brother out of his sight. Instead of letting Dante wander off to wherever he pleased, Vergil would follow where he could with his book and the Yamato (still too big for him) in hand, and did more to keep Dante from wandering to where he shouldn't. 

There were still limits. The boys still had moments of squabbles and shouting. But the newfound skittish closeness was a reminder to her that trauma scars could be for life. 

* * *

She finally got to opening the lock box that belonged to Spencer. 

Eva has noticed that Dante refused to look at the gaudy painting in the welcoming hall; not only did she plan to have it taken down eventually, but she also decided against asking her younger child for help opening the lock box. 

Vergil, on the other hand, didn’t need any more explanation when Eva explained to him that she wanted help opening up his father’s box. 

One drop of blood was all it took, yet it still pained her to watch her son slice his finger over the Yamato. 

The moment the seal broke, the small box transformed into a larger container. 

Eva saw how Vergil lingered, and understood his curiosity, so she asked: “Sweetie, would you like to come sit with me as we look through this? Just promise me you won’t reach for anything in it unless I tell you that you can?” (Dante was currently tired out from the sword fight that he had goaded Vergil into, and was napping with Nowell curled about him in his bed.)

“Yes, please. Of course, mother.” Were his polite and compliant responses. So they sat on the long plush bench in the master bedroom, while she opened the lid to the ornate lacquered wooden box that was about the size of a suitcase. 

The first thing she noticed were Luce and Ombra, safely held in velvet lining in the lid of the case. She remembered those guns… Spencer may have been the Legendary Devil Swordsman Sparda, but he also had an appreciation for human ingenuity. With ample time on his hands to learn many new crafts, these guns were something of a long time pet project of his, from even before they had met. 

He didn’t use them often, as he performed best with his swords. But as the times changed, it was less accepting to carry a sword on his person as opposed to a gun. Sometimes, a visual weapon one could carry on their person was important. Though he never left his swords behind, being able to draw a gun without showing that he could magically conjure a blade was prudent. But if he were to carry a gun, it had to be useful to him; hence the firearms he made that could withstand his demonic abilities. 

She made a mental note that perhaps, in the future, she ought to give one to Vergil and one to Dante. There is no denying it, but her sons will not be able to escape the life of combat, for the devil’s blood that runs through their veins will not be denied. She will not be so naive as to think she can shield them away from that, so it’s better if she made sure they would be equipped to survive, instead. 

“I didn’t know father used guns.” Vergil said with a frown. 

“He doesn’t use them often. But they were an accessory of necessity.” She responded solemnly. 

“I don’t like guns. They are loud and not as elegant as a blade. Father was teaching me how to create summoned swords. I like those better.”

She recalled those lessons. Vergil had a lot more patience than Dante, and made much better progress with them. It got to the point where Dante seemed to give up on the skill in favor of other skills, while Vergil began to practice mastering precision. 

“You wouldn’t want one of these when you are old enough to handle it, then?” She asked softly while running a hand over the wooden grips of the Luce. 

The way Vergil’s brow knitted told her of the answer. But what surprised her, was what he said next: “That one is for the left hand, isn’t it?” He pointed at the Ombra. “So they are meant to be a pair?”

“They are. You’re very perceptive.” She smiled, and even if her son tried not to show it, she knew he was pleased to be praised. 

“Give them to Dante. He has no patience for summoned swords. Maybe these will make up for his inability to learn.” 

Though it wasn’t without a jab to his brother’s competency, Eva could read between the lines. 

When things were still childish games and tendencies to one-up each other, finding each other’s weaknesses meant gloating rights over things. 

But now, Vergil was taking his observations with some measure of concern. 

“Of course. I think he’ll like these very much, don’t you? Of course, it will be quite a few years before he’s ready for these.”

“Just don’t tell them they used to be father’s…” Vergil said solemnly. “Dante doesn’t want to talk about him anymore…”

Eva pulled Vergil close into a one-armed embrace and rubbed his shoulder caringly. “I know. Give him time. This has been hard on all of us. Just know that your father loved you both, okay? And when Dante is ready to talk about it again, you can let him know. He loved you both very, very much.”

* * *

Among the items were a small collection of various rings, sigels, and even a few magical artifacts that Eva knew she was going to have to look into later. The rest were apparently papers and the likes... and even with all the patience that Vergil possessed, an eight-year-old was still going to find them boring. In fact, he was about as tired as Dante was, and eventually fell asleep against Eva. 

Carefully, Eva sifted through the papers. One of the envelopes was thick, somewhat heavier, and was clearly full of differently sized items... she immediately recognized the objects as a stack of photographs.

Sifting through it, she realized she had found a collection of photographs Lance had sent to Spencer from when photography became widespread. The backs of each photograph was dated, with names of the subjects written upon them. The collection was so sentimental, it was hard to imagine that these were the correspondence of devils. 

It was a fascinating timeline to look through. Lance was not always in the photos, but it was easy to pick out the ones that he were: though in human disguise, he was more timeless than the photos. He was in every full family shot, but never in photos involving newborns. 

She did notice that the later type of photos were often only of the mother and her children. She felt like there was a sort of logic to it that she didn't need to think much on. Something else was more on her mind:

Is this the kind of life Spencer might have hoped to have, down the years? To watch his family through the years, maybe even help with raising his great-however-many-times-over grandchildren...

To experience the love of generations? And the heartbreak of when he outlives them all...

Would a devil cry at that?

She had seen his tears of joy before; it was such a sight to behold, when their sons were born. 

She would hate to see his tears of sorrow. But she knew that should it come to pass, he would cry in heartbreak, too.

* * *

She carefully moved Vergil into his shared bedroom with his brother, and then pried Yamato from his arms to lay it by his nightstand. It was barely past noon, so she'll let them rest a bit longer before waking them for an outing. 

Nowell jumped off from Dante's bed to climb into Vergil's, feeling it was time to give the older twin some warmth and comfort. He did, however, whine a little, and she felt through their connection that Nowell would rather have the boys nearby on one bed for him to cuddle with. 

Retreating back to the room that she needed to reorganize into a proper study for herself, she began to go through the rest of the papers, and also found a collection of letters Lance had sent to Spencer. It appeared that as the mailing system became more robust, Lance sent even more mail. She had no way of knowing how often Spencer mailed him back. 

She also didn't want to invade her husband's long history of privacy, and left the letters alone, save for grabbing one of the more recent envelopes that had an actual return address. 

Eva stared at the return address. 

She recalled Spencer stating that one day, he would be delighted to introduce her to Lance. 

Would it still be appropriate to introduce herself now, through a letter? Should she contact him? For help? Or to let her husband's one friend that he's in contact with know what has happened? 

How human should she be treating Lance? And if she were to treat him as a devil, how should she go about it?

But she supposed there would be no harm... because what she needed most from Lance right now, was information. 

Lance clearly had a long history of raising children of devilish qualities. Spencer might have never asked for advice out of pride, but Eva didn't see this as a matter of pride. 

She saw it as a matter of love and concern for her children's future. 

This was also not a letter she would risk through normal mail. So she summoned Lenore, her large raven familiar. 

"I'm sorry, dearie, but I'm going to need to ask you to make a long journey out..."

* * *

Barely into the fourth day since sending out her letter, Lenore showed up early morning with a response. A curiously hefty ring with a large multicoloured gemstone was slid about the message container, filled with a considerable amount of power that probably helped keep Lenore safe and allowed her to return promptly. 

Lance had given away this power so freely, that Eva was stunned by it. It was a shame that, among the legends, only Sparda's justice was told. His few friends probably deserved just as much of an epic for simply having a heart.

His response letter was several pages long, and started like so:

> _To the Wonderful Lady Eva, who holds the heart of the Legendary Dark Knight,_
> 
> _You bear news enough to make a devil faint in unpleasant shock. And fainting under emotional duress is hardly a trait a devil would possess._
> 
> _Your dearest raven familiar was first nearly shot out of the sky by the middle-child of my nest; any other time I would be proud of him (and I still am) but the severity of the message your familiar brought to me takes precedence._

Momentarily, Eva checked up on Lenore. “Were you truly nearly shot down by a child? I hope you didn’t take affront to the poor kid by much. I’m certain he didn’t mean to hurt you.”

The indignant squawk plus the feeling through their connection said _“Yes, the kid really did try to hurt me.”_ But then Lenore ruffled her feathers and piped down with a gentle visual message of a dark-haired and violet-eyed child, a practice bow dropped upon the ground, cooing at Lenore and feeding her grains, speaking in a language that Eva did not understand; it was plain to see that it was an apology, however, and she could feel Lenore stating: _“But it’s okay.”_

> _I am certain that my observation is old news for you, but by the events you have described, this is only proof that the seals between the worlds are weakening. It is an unfortunate truth that we recognized a long time ago... long for humans, but almost not long ago enough for devils like us._
> 
> _For it to happen now brings a pang of sadness and rage to my age-worn heart. What I would give to be able to assist you in more than just words and trinkets... however, I am in a pact with your husband that would not be prudent to break. I am quite literally chained to this island, to uphold the seal upon this gate. Would I be able to tell you where your husband had gone, I would also be out there there searching for him, as I understand and value the concept of friendship, and would never abandon an ally to my Hive._
> 
> _But on that, I digress._
> 
> _You requested my knowledge on the development of part-devil children. But before I start, I would like to extend the offer that, should anything happen that you are no longer able to stay in the castle of Fortuna, you and your children are welcome at my manor. It is the least I can offer, for a long time friend such as Spencer._

She hoped that would never come to pass, not because she didn't appreciate the gesture, but because she thought this one move held enough trauma to it, that she'd rather her children not have to go through another similar experience. 

The next page to the letter started off with some interesting points:

> _I would be more than happy to write to you the types of things I have witnessed among the generations that have graced my home, but I cannot guarantee how useful this would be as a guide. Every child and every generation tends to be a little different, and as devils, Sparda and I are from completely different and unrelated lines._
> 
> _Additionally, through the centuries, I have personally only sired a handful of children. There are a small number of differences that could be attributed towards generations. Perhaps I should briefly outline my family's history:_
> 
> _Beyond the few children that were mine own, the rest of my ever-distant human descendants maintain devil-powers and abilities via a blood-pact with me. Outside stimuli with magic and training greatly affects what traits and abilities will develop, and this greatly holds true for second-generation and even third-generation children of mine. By the fourth generation, if any combat qualities are to be maintained, that would be a different story._
> 
> _I can only hope that what I have observed will be useful to you, Lady Eva._

* * *

> _It goes without saying, but as you have described, even part-devils can have demonic forms. My family often refers to it as our "released" form, as I often refer to my human form as my "sealed" form. A full transformation isn't uncommon, especially once they have reached maturity and attain a certain amount of power. At a younger age, however, it could be said that it's both a blessing and a curse. They are strong. But strength of any kind requires discipline alongside it. Neglecting it through misuse or disuse can be disastrous both._

In the last few years, Eva was relieved that, though Fortuna gets its fair share of lesser demon attacks, the Holy Knights of the order were exactly what the island needed to keep things from getting out of hand.

Vergil continued his kata practices diligently with a practice sword, and for a long while, he only had Dante's energetic demands for a fight as his practice sessions. 

Dante lost most of those fights, and one day, when he was 10, he came running to Eva with heavy sobs and fat tears streaming down his face: "Vergil's a big meanie who doesn't fight fair!"

Though Dante was always an _expressive_ child, even at age 10, actual crying was a little rare of him. (Oh he had most definitely crocodile-teared at her before. It didn’t take long before he learnt that it didn’t work.)

From the adult perspective, Eva knew this wasn't exactly a matter of fairness. Vergil had a surprising amount of honor that he stood by, even for a child. So whatever Dante was referring to, it must be because they had a disagreement in where that line of fairness was drawn. And it upset him to the point of crying. 

With a mental push down her connection with Nowell, she sent the large black wolf out to check up on Vergil. 

"Shhh, shh, sweetie. Tell me what happened." She sat down in the grass by her garden of herbs, and pulled her son close to wipe away some of the tears. 

Dante didn’t immediately respond, and buried his face into her shoulder with a sob. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Nowell told her that Vergil was sulking in the library. She told her familiar to remain with him until she went to check on him. 

“I don’t want to be a demon.” Dante sobbed into her shoulder, and her blood nearly froze. 

For two years, Dante spoke nothing of the reveal that he wasn’t entirely a human child. He refused to talk about his father, would leave the room or tune out what was being said when it involves the Legendary Dark Knight, and told curious strangers in the castle town that he didn’t have a dad. 

Vergil always looked upset when Dante behaved in such a way, but for two years, he kept that emotion to himself.

Maybe it was finally time to try and address this. Vergil had always clearly admired Spencer, as a child is prone to regard their parents as their first role models. They were still young, and she couldn’t expect for Vergil to keep pretending he wasn’t bothered by Dante’s refusal to acknowledge their father’s existence. 

“Sweetie, Dante. You’re not a demon.” She started with soothing words and brushed her fingers through his hair. 

“Not a demon. I’m human, like you…”

“You’re not human, either, my child.” When Dante tensed, she continued: “You are not human, but you are not demon. In fact, no part of you is a demon, sweetie. A devil is something more than demon. And you are more than human and devil combined. Do you understand?”

Dante shook his head. “Verge called me weak. Said I was being pathetic, pretending to be something I was not. Told me I needed to get stronger. But I don’t want to be like those things that hurt you, mom. I don’t want to be like… like dad! If it weren’t for dad, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt! Vergil wouldn’t have gotten hurt, either! If it weren’t for dad… we wouldn’t have been targeted by demons. If only if he weren’t there at all...”

She pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and rubbed his back as he trailed off into another unsteady inhale. 

“Sweetie, don’t say that…”

“But it’s true!”

“It’s not the whole truth, Dante. Because if it weren’t for your father… if I had never met your father, then I wouldn’t have either you, or your brother, in my life.” It probably wasn’t a concept that Dante entirely understood, but at this moment, she only needed him to understand the truth of them being a family: “It couldn’t be anyone else, Dante. You and your brother would not be here if Spencer… if Sparda… was not a part of our lives. You and Vergil are not just my precious children, sweetie. You two are mine and your father’s. And I would not want anyone else. I know it’s unfair that your life is so much more complicated for it, but love is like that.”

“Even when you get hurt from it?”

This wasn’t an easy question to answer. Love wasn’t supposed to be malicious. Not real love. But how can she explain the complications of love to a child? 

“I wasn’t hurt because of love, sweetie. We weren’t hurt because of love. We are alive because of it.” 

Slowly, Dante nodded his understanding into her shoulder. But then he asked: “If Verge and I aren’t demons, or devils, or human, then what are we?”

In human folklore, there were many terms one could call them by. And none of them pleasant, nor accurate, nor meaningful. 

But Eva knew she had to give an answer. A true and solid answer: “You are the child of the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda, and a child of mine. You are neither human, neither devil, but both. You can walk amongst humans, live among them, and experience life with them. You can also stand up to the forces of Hell, and push back those who dare to hurt what you hold dear, just like your father once did. That is what you are. And to become the best of what you are, you must love and respect both sides of your heritage.”

“Is that what Vergil is doing, when he practices his summoned swords? He used them today. In a fight. He’s never done that before. It hurt. And he called me weak, because I couldn’t win against that.”

Eva knew that she was going to have to talk to her eldest about this. It wasn’t the worst that could happen between two half-devil children, but there needed to be an understanding. Still, she needed to hear Vergil’s side of the story, too, before immediately chastising him. 

“Vergil has probably been a little upset, because you have been upset about your father. Remember, Spencer is yours and Vergil’s dad, too. And just as you and Vergil love me, he also loved Spencer. He misses him. And he probably misses the times when the two of you could fight over your father’s attention and approval. To see and hear you act as if those precious moments didn’t matter anymore… probably hurt him a lot, too.”

Dante whined at first, but then he mumbled through a hiccup: “I’m sorry, mom. I’m sorry. I love you. I just don’t want what happened to ever happen again. I wished dad was there. Wish dad was here. Wish he could make everything better again. You’ve been sad a lot. Verge was sad a lot, too. And I blamed dad for it…”

It wasn’t unwarranted… in a sense, maybe everything would have turned out better if Spencer had been there. But that was in the past. She needed to soothe and heal the scars they had, as best she could, in the present. 

“Do you think you think you could forgive your father a little, now?”

“I… don’t know. Even if I forgive him… I don’t think I can ever forget that day.” He hiccuped again. “I just don’t want you to be sad anymore. Or Vergil to be sad anymore. Would it really make him happier, if I… if I tried to be a bit more like him? Use magic and abilities that aren’t human?”

“So long as you two continue to be careful.” She didn’t need to drive home the point on public displays of said abilities. That was a conversation they squared away already in the past. “And you don’t have to try and learn to use the exact same abilities as he does. I’m sure you will find your own ways to develop your skills. I think Vergil will simply be happier if you two have something in common again, even if you fight over how to best utilize it. Now, come on. Let’s get you cleaned up. And then let me check on your brother for a moment? You might not think it, but he might be just as distraught as you feel, right now.”

“I need to tell him I’m sorry…”

“And you will get the chance to do so soon, okay?”

Eventually, Eva left Lenore to keep Dante company, as her youngest was instructed to take a break in his room and wait for her to return with his brother. 

In the library, Vergil had a book in his lap, but it wasn’t open. He appeared to have been staring blankly at the cover. Two practice swords, alongside the Yamato, were by the seat. It appeared he had gathered up what was left after Dante had probably run off from their fight. 

When Eva entered, Nowell’s ears perked, and Vergil looked up from the closed book. “Mother…”

He sounded upset. 

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” She went over to sit on the armrest of the chair, and wrapped an arm about his shoulders. 

“I think I’ve upset Dante. I think I’ve upset him very badly.” He said softly. 

“Tell me what happened.” She will listen, and put together a more complete picture. 

“I used the summon swords in our spar today. I wanted to… show him what I could do with them. He hasn’t really been training. He treats our sword fights only as a game. I thought maybe if I… Showed him how much further ahead I was that maybe…” He continued to look down solemnly at the book. “Maybe I went too far ahead without him. Maybe he doesn’t care anymore.”

But that wasn’t all, was it? Still, one thing at a time. “He’s your brother. He won’t stray too far away from you, I promise. But you’re both upset right now. What else is wrong, sweetheart?”

"Do you think Dante hates me?" He asked. 

Eva could guess why this was on his mind, but she needed to hear from him before making assumptions. "Sweetheart, your brother could never hate you. What makes you think he would hate you?"

Vergil thumbed over the cover of the book; it wasn't his usual book, so it appeared he took up a random tome for comfort's sake. "He hasn't touched Rebellion since we've moved here. It's been under his bed for the past two years. And he won't talk about father. And any time I talk about the training we used to do, he changes the topic or leaves or..." His voice trembled. Vergil always tried hard to not cry, but the emotion was still there. "He doesn't like hearing anything about demons or devils, and today, I... I called him weak, because he insisted on... remaining human. I didn't mean to... to insinuate that..." 

Eva patiently waited for Vergil to find his words, and rubbed his shoulder as he continued:

"I'm scared. What if we get attacked again?" He said softly, voice unsteady. "If we do, then we have to fight. Without power, we won't be able to protect anything. Not ourselves. Not you... and... he's my twin. We're one and the same, aren't we? But he hates admitting that he has that power. So he probably hates me, too." Tears welled up, and he quickly wiped them away. "I didn't mean to hurt him. Not like that. But I don't want to see him get hurt like he did when we lost our home. Not again. What do I do, mother?"

Pressing a kiss to the top of his head just like she had done with Dante, she told him: "Your brother loves you just as much as you love him, Vergil. But sometimes, communication isn't the easiest, and you might not always get what you expect out of it. Maybe you could start with telling him plainly and simply, that you want him to be able to stay safe. That you love him." A thought then occurred to her. "And, sweetheart, this might be a little hard, but I want you to think about something..."

Vergil glanced up at her, the rims of his eyes slightly red from failing to hold back tears. 

"You might be the older brother, but you are not alone. You don't have to fight alone. You don't have to be the sole protector. You are not made of unbreakable steel..." And neither was Spencer... "When things get tough, you would want your brother by your side, no?"

He nodded slowly, and admittance he would rarely say to Dante's face. 

"Tell him that, sweetheart. Tell him that you two need to be there for each other, no matter what."

* * *

By the time dinner came around, Vergil and Dante were in significantly better moods, and the evidence of their tears had all cleared away. They immediately fell back into some old habits, but the verbal jabbing and occasional ribbing was clearly less tense than before. 

The next day, Eva saw that Dante had finally dragged the Rebellion out from under his bed. 

She watched them from a comfortable distance away when they went outside. Both the Yamato and the Rebellion were still a bit too unwieldy for the two boys (who were sure to grow into their height, if their current heights were any indicator.) 

Dante sat in the grass and watched in boredom as Vergil went through his kata practices. He could be practicing sword swings, but that was too boring for the younger twin. Midway through, he finally couldn't take it anymore and interrupted his brother's practice: 

"Hey Verge. Do that summoned sword thing at me again."

Vergil paused by holding his form without moving on to the next stance, and gave Dante a criticizing look: "I hurt you, last time. Are you sure you'd want me to continue using them...?"

"You won't actually hurt me, right?"

"...No."

Eva didn't intervene. When Dante looked over at her, she just smiled back. Being the mother of two half-devils was hard, because she had to fight against certain instincts. But she had to trust them. (She also had to trust the information Lance provided to her.)

"Then come at me! I want to try something!" Dante stood up and beckoned. 

“Don’t go crying to mother if you get hurt.” Vergil taunted and lowered his practice stance. In a flash of blue, a summoned sword formed in the air and flew towards Dante. The motion the younger boy made to parry it seemed solid, but the blade still sliced open the side of his hand. 

“Owe!” Dante yelped, shook out his hand, and inspected the healing wound. Eva gripped her folded hands tightly in her lap. He was okay. She had to accept that certain wounds were a necessary evil in their brand of rough-and-tumble. To her side, Nowell materialized to lay by her, comforting her. 

“And what were you trying to accomplish, Dante?” Vergil knitted his brow and asked. 

“I’ll show you when I actually manage it! Again!” He just grinned and beckoned. 

This time, the result was a summoned sword embedded an inch within his forearm. 

“Dante! Are you _trying_ to become a pincushion?” 

“Third time’s the charm! Try again!” He said so nonchalantly as he pulled the dissipating blade out to let his arm heal. 

And this time, finally, when Vergil hesitantly summoned one more blade against his brother, there was a surprising (but satisfying) sound of the blade meeting something hard. In a brief flash of power and transformation of his arm, Dante parried the blade. 

“Yeah! Whoo hoo!” He cheered. “How’s that, Verge? Now that I have a way to deal with your pesky swords, I’ll even the score in no time!”

In the past Vergil might have thrown his own brand of a hissy fit over something like that. But now, he gave Dante a measuring gaze, and readied his practice sword: “We’ll see about that. I’ll put that interesting new skill of yours to the test.” 

Before long, the two boys were back to trading blows and taunting words alike. 

Things were beginning to look like they would be all right; at least, in regards to the rift that was between the twins. Eva is relieved that their relationship would heal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I debated on the importance of Luce and Ombra… and realized, yes, absolutely, they need to exist; because the idea of Dante without guns felt wrong to me, but there’s almost no way for him to have Ebony and Ivory “in time”... but I think I made a solid reasoning for why Sparda would even have guns.  
> \- You cannot tell me that Vergil wouldn’t start getting protective over his family had they not gotten separated. He’s so possessive, haha. (Also he needs to heal. The whole point of this is for them to be family.)  
> \- I get nervous every time I write OCs into a fanfic. It's a delicate balance, and for the most part I hope to stick with the goal of using OCs to accentuate the lives of the canon cast that we want to focus on. I hope I'm doing well on that part. <3  
> \- Have I mentioned before that Royal Guard is my favorite style? I suppose if you read my stupid little notes in my other fics, then you would. :’D


	3. Six Senses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sight, taste, touch, smell, sound... and sense. 
> 
> They grow, and they learn.

> _ Of course, physical changes are not the only traits a part-devil may possess. One may develop a heightened sense of smell, or more acute hearing, better eyesight, or even sense of taste. (An acute sense of taste might make for a fussy eater, so I would not wish that upon you.) Part-devils are also prone to developing a sixth-sense, for sensing the demonic. Most of these traits, should they possess them, would be present since birth. How well these senses develop, of course, is also determined by training and usage.  _

* * *

"Okay, you're all good to go! You boys are getting tall." Nova wrote down the last of her notes on her clipboard with a smile. "Keep that up and you'll be taller than you mother."

Eva had no doubt that would ring true, but it might be quite a few years before her sons overtook her in height. She was just a little over 180cm (about 6 feet). But if she didn't contribute to their height, then Spencer definitely did, for the Devil Swordsman was taller than her, and that's only his human guise. 

Vergil and Dante would turn 11 next year, and already they were getting close to the 155cm (5'1") mark. Strangely, they haven't fought over who would be taller than the other in the past few months... most of that energy had gone towards fighting over their skills and demonic abilities. 

Health-wise, the boys never had a thing wrong with them, which always brought a relief to Eva. Nova now had almost two years worth of records of the boys' height, weight, and measurements of their health, which so far had not yielded much out of the ordinary save for the fact that they never got sick. 

Vergil, having gotten over his dislike of the necessity of said check-ups, politely thanked Nova, and Dante would always enthusiastically follow suit. (Post-check-up time was always followed by ice cream, after all, so the boys would continue to stay on good behavior.)

As the boys were putting their coats back on, Nova went up to Eva: "Lady Eva, Leo and I have something for you."

Eva couldn't help but smile knowingly, before answering politely: "From both of you?"

In the last two to almost three years, Leo had not only fit himself comfortably into his role as the Supreme General, but also garnered a large amount of respect from his Knights and the city population in general. He found his resolute voice, but did not fail to be compassionate. With that respect came attention, and it was hard for co-workers and even some of the general public not to notice the connection between him and Nova. 

The only shame out of this entire situation, Eva had learned, was that the gossip circles have twisted a few things regarding Nova and Leo’s relationship; they speak of Nova like a damsel in need of being saved from “the bad reputation of her mentor.”

And that was an entirely different problem in itself. 

Nova's mentor was a woman whose reputation was shattered by one single factor: the good doctor's father, a Knight and Officer from a prominent family of the city, did not approve of his daughter's choice in a husband. As a result, he financially disowned his daughter for eloping, and spread malicious words about her character. Worse yet were the things said about her beloved; the man was an amnesiac who washed ashore the island, with no past to recall and no identity to go back to. He had no solid ground to defend himself on. 

All of the distaste that stemmed from one upset father's tirade rolled up into one ball of disapproval from the masses who did not know Clarise and her husband. Still, the doctor had a good and honest practice going, with supportive people like Nova in her life. Eva has met Clarise on occasion, and once, in the city, she had seen her with her husband and her now 13 year old daughter. 

Nova did not need “saving” from anything. Her growing relationship with Leo was healthy and pure, just like that of her mentor’s. Strangers did not see it, but Eva wistfully could. 

As Nova handed her a wedding invitation, Eva briefly thought back to the past. 

She missed Spencer. She wished he were here with them all, among newly made friends, sharing their joy. 

She wondered if he'd ever return in time for the days their sons found each of their beloved and married. That wasn’t too far fetched of a hope and dream, was it? That there would be a lovely girl… or guy (she did not judge) that would be accepting of who Dante and Vergil are, without either the haze of fear of the demonic, or the fog of the faith towards the “Saviour.”

* * *

Trying to get 10-year-old children into semi-formal clothing is a difficult feat, no matter if said children were half-devils or not.

She had to take the boys to a tailor for something fitting for guests at an important wedding, even if they were children. By now, the city’s hushed murmurings have accepted that “The Lady of the Castle” was most certainly someone “divine” by their standards, if not for her assistance in treating the Holy Knights’ wounds against demons, or for her additional wards and enchantments, then it would be for the fact that, somehow, the idea and imagery of snow white hair was considered a blessed trait. She knew that, as the years went on, certain truths would be harder to hide. But by then, she hoped that Vergil and Dante would be old enough to understand what kind of situation they were in, and that perhaps they would be a positive influence on the general society’s cult-like behaviours. 

In any case, the tailor shop was ecstatic to have Eva and her sons as customers. The shop owner fussed over the boys, to both the twins’ chagrin, but the boys endured, putting on their best behaviour for their mother. 

A few days later, Eva picked up a set of clothes in white for her sons; white appeared to be the preferred colour in Fortuna, symbolizing all sorts of things to do with purity and honour. Honestly she wondered if white and dark red were truly the colours Sparda had chosen for the Order of the Sword when he had established it. Spencer had often dressed in darker colours, but maybe he wanted the Order to be something opposite to the persona of the Dark Knight? She wouldn’t know. And honestly, it wasn’t all that terrible. White was a good colour. So now Vergil and Dante each had a set of something semi-formal, white with gold trim, each with short shoulder-capes that would add colour to their ensemble: blue with silver embroidery on the edges for Vergil, and red with gold embroidery for Dante. 

Dante was not fond of dealing with buttons. Vergil was simply a little apprehensive, but fussed a lot less about the whole thing than Dante did. So while Eva tried to get her younger son to be just patient enough for her to help him get everything together, Vergil asked: "Mother, you said we are going to attend a wedding ceremony for Miss Nova and Sir Leo. But what is a wedding ceremony?"

Eva knew this was going to be a concept she needed to explain, but she still wasn't entirely certain it would be understood: "It's a... type of bonding ceremony. Between two unrelated people who will begin to call each other family."

She hoped that was a good start. Vergil was clearly thinking over her words, trying to decipher them. 

She finished with Dante's buttons, and he asked: "Do everyone have wedding ceremonies?" 

Eva smiled gently and brushed Dante's hair out of his eyes with her fingers. "Only people who are getting married."

Vergil seemed to understand a bit better when he heard that: "Did you and father have a wedding ceremony?"

She thought back to that day. "Yes. A small one. But a happy one, nonetheless."

There were flowers. No real reception. The signing of the marriage certificate was done with a local acquaintance as a witness. It was fine by her and Spencer. She was a witch; living apart from the normal society was something she chose. And he was a devil, normal society was something he would forever be apart from. 

But today was going to be about Leo and Nova. The Supreme General and his sweetheart. It was going to be a pretty big event. The Order couldn’t make it not a big event. Leo knew the grandeur was going to be inescapable, and Nova was a little daunted by it. But it was just one pleasant event to endure, for happiness in the rest of their lives. (Well, so one would hope. But Eva saw a healthy bond between them. She’s certain they will do fine.)

“So, a wedding ceremony is something people have when they get married?” Dante concluded. 

“That’s right, sweetie.”

“But what’s ‘getting married’ mean? It’s something you and dad did?”

Eva couldn’t help but chuckle a little. This wasn’t by any means an easy thing to explain. “People get married when they love each other very much, and want to become family. Not everyone goes through marriage with the same ceremonies. The important part is the signing of a certificate. It’s something you’ll both come to understand, and maybe even go through, when you’re older.”

After a few moments of thought, Dante simply smiled and nodded: “Okay! So, we should be happy for Miss Nova and Sir Leo, right?”

“That’s right, sweetie. And make sure you don’t get your clothes too dirty. I know white isn’t really something you want to wear since you like to get into all sorts of trouble…” She teased her son by pinching his cheek. “But be good today, okay?”

Vergil had been contemplative when she was talking about marriage, but whatever was going on in his mind, he seemed to settle on a happier emotion, as if something Eva had said soothed him. He then asked: “Can I bring a book with me?”

“Awe, again with your books?” Dante pouted. “What about me?”

“I’ll keep you out of trouble, but it could be good for you to bring something to read, too.”

“But reading is boring! Unless you’d read a play with me? Mom, will we be able to do that?”

Eva smiled and placated them both: “It’s going to be the wedding of the Supreme General and his fiance, and there’s going to be a lot of adults wanting conversation. Tell you what? Bring your practice swords. I’m sure there’s going to be a moment where you could find a break, at a clearing, to challenge yourselves a little. In fact, this would be a good opportunity to make sure you don’t lose touch with fighting while hiding your ace, don’t you think?” It was her way of reminding them that they needed to keep their special traits hidden. Still, this kind of allowance wasn’t what one would consider traditional, but the Order of the Sword was something different than your usual society. 

After all, they were the Order of the Sword. Of Sparda. Eva knew from first stepping foot into this city, that the fighting spirit was not something shunned. It did, however, demand discipline. 

But first, there was something else more important:

“Okay now, boys, stand next to each other here… and let me take a photo.” 

Ever since the portrait incident in the past, the boys were a lot more receptive to the camera… because if there must be images of them upon print, they’d rather deal with the snap of a camera shutter than the hours long session of having a portrait done. 

And Eva mentally told herself that this was one of the photos she should get two copies of. Lance was curiously demanding of photos. She was certain that if that devil were allowed any form of freedom where he had regular friends to meet with, he would be the type that had a million photos of his family in his wallet to show off. 

Because at this point, Lance has sent her five photos in the past two years of his “nestlings.” Dark haired and violet eyed twins, and a violet eyed little girl with dark brown hair. She wondered which twin was the one that shot an arrow at Lenore, but it honestly wasn’t very important. She simply found it sweet that Lance was so eager to exchange family photos. So she had to return the favor. 

* * *

Vergil was definitely bored, almost the moment they had arrived. At first, the sheer amount of flower arrangements was something that even he gawked at, but soon everything just felt the same to him: bright, floral, and festive. 

It wasn’t exactly that he was unhappy to be here. It’s supposed to be a happy event for Miss Nova and Sir Leo, so he saw no reason to be unhappy about being here. 

But he was undeniably bored, because so far, he hasn’t found much of an opportunity to be able to simply have space to himself and enjoy reading for a while. He didn’t want to lose sight of Dante among this vast crowd of people, and they tried to remain with their mother as best as possible. 

Many a time, while some of the adults flitted from group to group and conversation to conversation, a few would pause to fawn over the boys. Though a small number of the city population had seen Vergil and Dante about the city with Eva, and a few have ever seen them without the hoods of their cloaks up, there were still a number of little mysteries that made people curious. 

There were a slew of different statements, most of which were on how nice they looked, followed by the question of their names. It didn’t take long before Vergil felt absolutely exhausted by the attention of strangers, and Dante was beginning to get antsy, too. Finally, he politely tugged at his mother’s dress, interrupting her small talk with one of the knights: “Mother, is there somewhere we can take a break?”

“Oh, sweetie, of course. Come on, both of you. Let’s see if there’s a nice place away from all of this for just a while, okay?” To the knights, she said: “I’ll be right back.”

Vergil and Dante followed their mother, each with a hand in hers. Vergil noticed that she was looking around as if searching for someone specific, and brought them towards someone. A man and a woman he didn’t particularly recognize were standing somewhat apart from the crowd, and his mother greeted them and asked: “Clarise, Raphael! Are you both doing well?”

“Wonderful so far, thank you, Lady Eva.” Clarise, whom Vergil only recognized by name as Miss Nova’s mentor, responded with a smile. “What can I do for you?”

“No need to be too formal. The event is a bit big, and I was wondering where your daughter might be? I thought the young ones might want a break from the crowds before their patience and energy gets too worn down… and we haven’t even gotten to the main part of the event yet.”

Clarise laughed and stage-whispered: “Sera tried to escape the moment we got here. She’s over there.” She pointed behind them towards one of the trees planted in the main square.

There was a blanket big enough for a picnic spread under the tree, and a young girl sitting there with a book and a pen in hand. 

Vergil felt a bit of relief. If their mother was hoping that they would remain the presence of other children, at least this girl seemed prone to mind her own business, and he could actually get some reading done. Maybe he could convince Dante to just… take a nap. That might not be as hard of a thing to suggest. 

Raphael, whom Vergil supposed was “Sera’s” father, then told Eva: “She won’t mind polite company, if yours won’t object to it. We’ve mostly been remaining in this area to keep an eye on her, so at least they will be watched.”

So Eva glanced down at Vergil and Dante, and asked: "What do you think, boys? A little bit of time away from standing around while the adults talk?"

Vergil didn't really need to think about it at all: "I would appreciate it." He responded.

Dante, meanwhile, had been the one toting around their wooden practice swords, and pouted: "Awe, you're just going to read, aren't you?"

"For a while. This event is all day, isn't it? So we're going to be here for a long time..." He looked up at his mother questioningly to confirm. She smiled and patted Dante on his head:

"Try to save your energy for a bit later. Maybe you two could make a new friend, too. Just be careful, okay?" She didn't need to emphasize what "be careful" meant. The light pat on their backs was a subtle "go on now." And Dante didn't really hesitate:

"Meetcha there, Verge!" And he ran off towards the tree. 

"Dante!" Frustrated at his brother's behaviour, he still wanted to keep his own dignity about him, and didn't chase after him. Instead he made sure to tell his mother: "We'll be good." 

Her smile was all he needed before he walked towards the tree, also. Behind him, he heard his mother say: "Please let me know if anything happens. The boys can get a little heated sometimes."

To which Clarise sighed: "You might be underestimating my daughter's tendency of getting into trouble, then. But we'll be keeping an eye on them."

Vergil hoped dearly for a peaceful day. 

By the time he arrived, Dante had clearly already introduced himself to Sera, and beckoned Vergil over while telling her: "And that's my brother, Vergil!"

Sera set her stuff aside to stand up, dusting her the red skirt of her dress off before taking a good look between the two of them with curious blue-green eyes. Blonde hair was pulled back into an expertly done French braid, probably by the hands of her mother. 

She was also definitely older than them by a few years, and stood taller than them. (While two to three years of development at this age could make for a significant difference in height, it wouldn't occur to the twins that, at age 13, Sera's near-177cm [5'9"] height was quite above average for a girl.)

"It's nice to meet you both, Dante! And Vergil! I'm Seraphina! But almost no one calls me that unless I'm in trouble, so just call me Sera." She briefly curtsied, and also briefly stuck out her tongue after her last statement. "Are you here to try and escape from the crowds, too?"

"Kind of." Dante shrugged. "Mom sent us over here. Everything is so boring."

Sera looked around and hummed. "I think some other kids were playing tag over at the gardens. Someone might be interested in a sword fight with you..." She tilted her head at the wooden swords Dante had under his arm. "But everyone is all dressed up today, and think some parents wouldn't be happy about a swordfight. I'm surprised you were allowed to bring those at all."

"Oh, these are for me and Verge. But I guess he just wants to read his boring book all day." Dante stuck his tongue out at Vergil, but he ignored it, and simply asked Sera:

"Would you be okay with sharing your space with us?"

"I don't mind!"

Content with that, Vergil found a spot on the blanket to sit down under the shade, and cracked open his book to the bookmarked page. 

Dante seemed to resign himself to further patience, and dropped the swords to then flop down on his back onto the blanket with a thud. Sera winced. "Ground's not that soft. That sounded like it hurt."

"I'm good!" Dante just grinned and gave her a thumb's up. 

Satisfied with just that, Sera also sat back down, and picked up her book and pen again. 

Vergil really hoped Dante would just nap, but after a while, he was annoyed to hear his twin whine: “Man, I have nothing to do.”

He was about to retort to Dante’s apparent lack of patience for finer things, when Sera simply asked: “Not fond of reading?”

“Eh. That’s more Vergil’s thing.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t read, can you?” She then paused, and looked up from her journal to say: “Unless you’re trying to tell me you’re illiterate.”

“Hey! I can read! I just choose not to!”

Vergil paused from his reading, unable to hold back his own comment: “I didn't think you understood what the word 'illiterate' meant, Dante.”

"Just because I don't keep my nose buried in a book all day, doesn't mean I don't read, jerk."

Sera promptly diffused whatever argument that might have risen by cutting in: "Is there anything you do like to read?"

Sitting up, Dante shrugged. "I like it when mom and Vergil and me read plays together."

"That sounds nice! I think the library has a collection of those Greek Dramas and Tragedies and things. Is that what you read?"

"No. Pretty sure we're still reading Shakespeare? Mom uses it to teach us about literature. It's fun, though."

"Oh, are you both home schooled?"

As far as Vergil understood, home-schooling actually wasn't uncommon on the island, so when the twins confirmed that, Sera simply responded: "That sounds nice! I wish my mom had the time to homeschool me. Dad doesn't exactly know how to go about it, so I have to attend school with the other kids."

Vergil and Dante both knew that the main reason they were homeschooled was due to their non-human qualities, secondary to the fact that they live outside of the city in the castle, and tertiary to them initially not being acclimated to such a major move. But Sera didn't pry, so Vergil went back to reading, leaving the other two to either go about their own things or continue to converse. 

"So..." He heard Dante continue: "Whatcha writing there?"

"Um... things. I wouldn't call it poetry, but..."

"That sounds neat! Can I see?"

"I, uh..."

"Or you could read one to me! Verge does that all the time. Read some random poem out loud to me, sometimes when he wants to make a point, when he could have just... said so like a normal person."

Vergil flicked his gaze up towards Dante in a brief glare, and then went back to his reading. He didn't need to see Dante's stupid grin for longer than he needed. 

There was a momentary bit of silence, and he heard Sera hum and flip through the pages of her journal, as if she were looking for something. Eventually, she paused, and spoke softly:

"Even when the path behind you  
Is one you cannot return to,  
There will always be new paths before you  
To take you somewhere new."

Sera went silent, closing her journal slowly, probably with a bit of embarrassment. But Dante smiled sweetly and complimented: “Hey, that’s pretty cool! What did you think, Verge?”

He was annoyed that Dante was, yet again, interrupting his reading… though it wasn’t like he had gotten more than another two sentences in. But he shouldn’t be rude in front of Sera, so he chose his words carefully: “An interesting way to talk about moving forward. Is this about something you miss in the past?” He looked over at her. 

Expecting something solemn, he was mildly surprised that she smiled and shook her head instead: “No, not for me. My dad can’t remember anything about his past prior to meeting my mom. When I was younger, I thought that was very sad. But he was always very happy with mom, and told me how he’s okay with the new life he was able to create by living here with us. So… yeah. I wrote that thinking about what he told me.”

For a stunned moment, Vergil found the odd sensation of actually getting to know the thoughts and feelings behind someone’s written word. He read a lot, yes, but this was very different. 

William Blake and any other poet, he would never know beyond the ink on paper. 

He felt amused. And so he told her: “It’s a very nice piece of writing. I’m sure many other things you write will be just as nice.” And then he turned back to his book. 

Sera seemed satisfied with that exchange, and asked Dante: “Well, there you have it. A snippet from my journal. It’s just a small hobby of mine. What about you? Your brother likes to read. What do you like to do for fun?”

“Bug Vergil.” Dante responded, and without looking up from his book, Vergil knew his brother had a cheeky grin plastered on his face. “I like to swordfight. Tag and sword fighting means the same thing to us sometimes. Maybe hide and seek. I dunno. Just, things.” He shrugged. “Things that I can do with my brother. Nothing’s fun without him.”

Vergil knew this. He used to think Dante was clingy and annoying. Sometimes, he still is. But the thought of not having him around was worse. He just wished Dante understood that he didn’t always have the energy to constantly entertain him. It wasn’t really that he got physically tired. Vergil wasn’t sure if he could describe it… the need for some peace and quiet, but not in the form of a nap. 

“It sounds nice to have a sibling to spend time with. I’m an only child. Mom’s a doctor, so she’s kind of busy. Dad spends time with me, but it’s not the same as having friends. But I guess I don’t actually… well, that’s not important. Say, when you two play hide and seek, you don’t do the thing where you conveniently forget to look for the other, do you?” Her teasing tone was a little forced, but as far as Vergil was concerned, that wasn’t any of his business. He did, however, feel compelled to respond:

“I will always find my little brother, no matter where he tries to hide.”  _ I’m not going to lose you. _

Sera, of course, wouldn’t get the meaning behind that. Dante, however, took this as a challenge: “Yeah, well, I’m sure I’ll find a new hiding spot in the castle, soon! Oh, hey! We haven’t ever tried to play around here, have we? Everything’s pretty new. Bet you can’t find me as easily, here! You’re on!” 

Without even so much as waiting for an agreement, Dante got up and ran off. Sera even tried to stop him: “Hey, wait a minute! Oh, uh… well, there he went.”

Vergil didn’t even bother to look up from his book, though he internally sighed. After a few moments of silence, Sera asked tentatively: “You, uh… you’re not going to look for him?”

“It’s only right to give him some time to find a good hiding place. Besides, maybe now I’ll get more than two paragraphs of reading done.”

“...Maybe I should resign to playing along, then?”

“Suite yourself.”

“Ooh. Cold.” Sera responded as she packed her journal and pen into her messenger bag that was behind her. 

Vergil turned to the next page as Sera stood up. She then asked: “You  _ will  _ go look for him, right?”

He briefly wondered if she had a bad experience with this sort of thing. The context seemed to fit together, based off of what she had said. 

“You have until I turn to the next page. Better hide well.”

“Ah. All right. Let’s see who’s better at this game, then. Your brother, or me.” She laughed, and also ran off. 

* * *

Not long after Dante and Sera left, Raphael had walked up to the tree and asked Vergil where Dante and Sera were going. He told the adult plainly that they were about to play hide and seek, and so Sera’s father thought over it, and told him to be careful, and that they should try to get back to the tree within the hour. 

That was a generous enough amount of time. 

Vergil also noticed that Dante had left both of the practice swords behind. Vexed at his brother’s haphazardness, he picked up both wooden swords, and thought to also pick up Sera’s bag. He had a bit of a reason for that, but if anyone asked, he was returning it to her. (That wasn’t a lie, either.)

Dante sometimes whined about how Vergil would find him without fail. 

In the castle, it was a lot easier. But out here, there was a lot more going on. People, flowers, and general chaos (in his opinion). But he treated this challenge as an opportunity. 

He could never forget his brother’s scent. Despite all of the other people and things about, he went in the direction Dante had run off to. 

As a half-devil, he now realized just how distinct Dante’s scent was compared to everyone else. The “devil” part of their blood certainly made them smell a lot different… he should have realized this sooner, when comparing his and Dante’s scents to their mother’s. But even their mother had a distinct scent of something “other” about her. The scent of magic, he thought. 

After a bit of acclimating to the overall mess of scents about him, he was beginning to have an easier time picking out that distinct  _ demonic  _ scent of his brother. It took him maybe all of ten minutes before he found Dante hiding between a topiary bush and a decorative pillar. 

In terms of hiding places, this was hardly anywhere as creative or concealing as Dante's usual choices at the castle, but as much as Vergil would call his brother an idiot, he understood that they were limited by prying eyes and the implicit instructions to not get in trouble. 

So when he found him, he simply jabbed his brother with one of the practice swords and said: "Idiot. You left these behind."

"Awe, I knew that was going to be too easy. Maybe I should have climbed a tree..." Dante just grinned and received both of the wooden swords from him.

Vergil was silent for a moment, thinking it over. "Things  _ are  _ a little boring when we have to be restricted." He finally agreed. "But we should find Sera."

"Oh, she's playing, too? Maybe she'll know better hiding places around here than me. Where should we start?"

"With a method of finding her..."

"Hey, is that her bag?" Dante questioned as Vergil began rummaging through it for her pen. 

"She left it behind, like you did with the swords." He realized he may not have needed to find her pen, but he inspected it anyway. The scent upon it wasn't any stronger than what was upon her bag. Human scents were definitely more subtle than demonic ones, he realized. 

"Hey, wait a minute... is that how you've been finding me every time? By scent?" 

"Scent leaves a trail, compared to just sensing you. Isn't that how you also find me?"

"No? I can figure out what area you're in pretty easily by sense alone. But I guess that won't work on Sera, would it?"

Disregarding the fact they still needed to find Sera, Vergil didn't quite understand what Dante meant: "Just sensing your proximity isn't always a good place to start. I'd have to have a direction, first."

"What do you mean? Can't you tell if I'm to your left or something?"

_ What? _

"Dante."

"Yeah?"

"Are you telling me you can simply...feel the direction I’m in?"

"Yeah! Look, Verge, sometimes you’re super quiet, okay? And I can’t always smell you before you approach me. Sure, you never try to stab me from behind or anything in a fight, but sometimes you just show up at the entrance to the room while my back is turned and I didn’t even know you were there!" His brother scratched the back of his head. "I'm getting pretty good at knowing both the distance and the direction you are from me, too!"

"Are you able to track me by scent at all?"

“Uh… I haven’t tried? I mean, if our bedding weren’t different colours, I  _ can  _ tell when I have your pillow instead of mine! So I’m sure I could follow a trail if I tried?”

They each stared at each other, Dante looking incredulous and then sheepish, and Vergil feeling thoughtful with a frown on his face. 

“I suppose… because of how we interact with each other, we have made some blind spots for ourselves.” 

“I guess? I didn't think we were doing anything differently! Hey, I'll try it your way next time. But right now, aren't we still playing with Sera?”

* * *

Almost 20 minutes later, the twins were at the foot of a corner of a building, momentarily baffled. 

"I am very positive that she climbed up this wall, up to that balcony." Vergil concluded. 

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"Awe, what was the point of me trying to stay on the ground then? I should have climbed a tree." 

As Dante fake-pouted, they both heard something from above: brief, soft, and stifled laughter. 

Dante looked at him with a gleam in his eyes: "You heard that, too?"

"She's up there." He confirmed.

"Race you up there!" 

Before Vergil could protest, Dante was already scaling up the wall, wooden swords still under one arm. Vergil scowled, glanced around to make sure no one else saw them, and followed his brother’s impulse with competitive instinct. 

Such a wall honestly wasn’t all that hard to scale. But he had to wonder how Sera got up there in the first place. She certainly didn’t take the stairs; the scent trail she left didn’t take that route. 

Faster than Dante managed with only one arm, Vergil pulled himself over the railing. “Found you.” He said plainly at Sera, who stopped holding in her laughter. She was sitting against the large column that made for the pillar of the corner of the balcony to some important looking building she probably should not be on. Her red skirts were also tied up in a peculiar way for her to be able to move more easily. She clearly didn’t care all that much for what made a proper lady’s image. 

Meanwhile, Dante also pulled himself over the balcony railing on the other side. “Awe, you only beat me because you have both hands free!”

“Last I checked, I was the seeker of this game, Dante.”

While his younger brother stuck his tongue out, Vergil handed Sera her bag: “You left this.”

“Oh! I didn’t think you were going to bring it to me! My parents would have made sure our stuff was all right. But this is fine! Thank you, Vergil!” She beamed and received it from him. Then, she turned to Dante: “So he found you first? I guess I’m a bit better at this than you are.”

“What! No way! Mom warned us not to get in trouble, so I didn’t climb up or into anything! But here you are! Aren’t  _ you  _ going to be in trouble?”

“You’re up here with me now! So I won’t tell if you don’t!”

“Fine!”

Vergil frowned: “Dante!”

“What? Are  _ you _ going to tell anyone? You’re here, too!”

But the argument was interrupted, as they heard from far away: “Vergil! Dante! You should come back here soon! Preferably with Miss Seraphina with you!”

“Shoot, mom’s calling!” Dante immediately scrambled to climb back over the railings, and before Sera or Vergil could stop him, he jumped down and landed with little issue. 

“...I didn’t hear anyone call, but that… usually would cause broken bones.” Sera stared down at Dante with wide eyes. 

“Uh…” Realizing his folly, Dante could only scratch his head in search for an excuse. “Don’t, um… don’t do what I do?”

Under his breath, Vergil muttered: “Idiot.”

And from afar, he could already see that his mother was making her way towards them. Briefly, he saw Lenore fly by. He knew without a doubt that his mother knew exactly where they went this entire time. 

"Do you have a way down?" He asked Sera.

"I do!"

"Don't break a leg." Vergil stated plainly. Knowing that it was too late to not be caught by their mother, he climbed over the railing, but made his way down a little less haphazardly than Dante. 

They both watched then as Sera made her way down with a sturdy hook-and-wire that she had hidden somewhere in her dress. To Vergil, he found it curious that she carried something like that with her: it seemed she wasn't going to let anything stop her from going where she wanted to go. 

Even if she clearly shouldn't go there. 

By the time she made it down to solid ground, and released the tension to the wire in order to dislodge the hook and retrieve it, Eva was within distance enough for Sera to turn around and immediately gasp nervously: "L-Lady Eva." She hid her wire and hook into her bag, but her skirts were still tied up, so she fumbled with that. 

"Oh my. What have you children been up to?" 

Everyone was collectively sheepish in their own way, while a knowing smile played on Eva's lips. Dante, probably based off of the not-quite-promise made with Sera, kept his mouth shut. 

And Vergil saw no benefit in stating what had happened, as he knew his mother already knew. 

But Sera seemed the truthful sort, as she clumsily (nervously?) curtsied and stammered: "Hide and seek, ma'am. Though I may have climbed up a little too high for the game."

Glancing up at the balcony, Eva then asked her: "Maybe so. You understand the risks and responsibilities of your actions?"

Another child might have given a "yes" or "no" regardless of their understanding of it, prompting the adult to further elaborate. But Sera thought about it, and said: "My actions may be my own, but they can affect others around me."

Vergil saw Eva's smile deepen as she responded: "That's correct. A good response. And that goes for the two of you, too." She then beckoned at him and Dante. 

"I understand..." Vergil nodded and went up to let his mother wrap one arm about his shoulders, while Dante received her embrace from the other side and told her: "Okay!"

"Good. Now, come on. The ceremony should be starting soon, so we should get seated, and bring Sera back to her parents?"

“I will follow.” Sera seemed somewhat embarrassed, knowing that, on some levels, she was chastised. 

“It’s all good, little miss. Thank you for keeping my boys company. It’s supposed to be a happy day, so we’ll leave out the part that you climbed up into a balcony from your parents?”

“I… Um… Yes. I mean, the company was enjoyable, ma’am. It was no problem.” 

* * *

It took a lot of effort to keep the twins behaving through the ceremony. Eva could understand… The whole thing might be a bit hard to understand, and brought up a lot of questions. Such as what she and Spencer did for their vows, and what the vows Leo and Nova said meant. 

There was also the matter of her tearing up when the newlyweds went through their vows. She was happy for them, but she would also remember her wedding day. Though it was simple with no real ceremony, there were still vows. Unconventional vows, for between her and the Legendary Dark Knight, the traditional “til death do us part” didn’t sit right. 

Dante eventually concluded (correctly enough) that vows involved a lot of promises, which he supposed was part of being a family. 

Someday, maybe, he’ll understand better. 

Vergil, at one point, asked her: “Mother. What kind of promises did you and father have?”

What kind of promises, indeed? Sparda was a devil whose life spanned millennia. What promise could a human make towards someone who was so long-lived and so powerful?

Only the kind that highlighted what Spencer saw in humanity:

“To live true to ourselves, and follow our hearts. To forge our path and our person with the fire of the human heart. To keep the flames of human passion ignited.”

After a bit of thought, Vergil asked softly: “But, mother, wasn’t father…?”

“He is a devil like none-other, because he developed a human heart, sweetheart.” 

* * *

A few days after the wedding and festival, Dante and Vergil, of course, being children who weren’t all that invested in the event, had moved on to other matters:

Vergil insisted on putting Dante’s scenting abilities to the test. At first, it was hide and seek. But it became evident that when Dante could tell what general direction he needed to start at before he could even be bothered to pick up a scent trail, they switched methods… and they’ve made a new game called “guess where Vergil went about the castle in the morning,” since the older twin almost always got up earlier, and would take a walk about the castle before returning to wake his younger brother. 

Meanwhile, for the scoreboard, Dante began ambushing Vergil out of the blue. 

Eva would watch the boys argue over their score, fight, and then eventually laugh things off or get distracted by other things. She supposed, as far as the devilish traits went, things were working out smoothly. 

The only concern she had was over their lack of social connection with other people. This was partially her fault. She needed to take the boys into the city more. Normal school was out of question. But they should still be allowed to have friends. She’s simply concerned that they might hurt someone; never on purpose, but she didn’t want her boys to have to feel guilty about being different, either. 

Would there be anyone they could trust, and understand the kind of difficulties they faced?

* * *

In the middle of that year, Seraphina Valkyrie lost her parents to a demonic attack. 

Eva heard about it first from the Holy Knights themselves. The incident was bad enough that she was dearly needed to check on the knights who were injured by venom. 

At the time, though she felt terrible for the girl’s loss, she didn’t have much leisure to follow up with the situation personally.

But then in the next year, after Vergil and Dante turned 12, the situation would follow up with them, instead. 

Because many things started happening following that year: the idea that the twins might eventually do well with some responsibility about the city as Knights of the Order; Sanctus approaching Eva with foolhardy ideas; Sera getting very very hurt by Devil Arms…

Oh, and there was the inevitable letter Eva had to send to Lance:

> _ It has occurred to me now that I do not know what to expect for part-devils when they reach maturity. In particular, while I am capable of teaching my sons what sexual maturity entails for humans, I would know next to nothing about such for devils. Seeing as you have reared children for the past two millennia, please enlighten me on anything I should watch out for.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Regarding the thing about white hair in Fortuna… double standards suck. I don’t want to accidentally write a whole essay, but basically, I’m saying that people can be very stupid, and Nero deserved better overall… and I believe the canonical Order of DMC4 engineered a lot of the problems to keep people from being attached to the Order’s bait/possible-lab-rat.   
> \- You may have noticed that sometimes Eva refers to Sparda as Sparda, but sometimes as Spencer. I am, to the best of my ability, doing this on purpose. No matter how accepting of the situation, Sparda’s long history and past are somewhat more intangible to her, and she feels a bit of a divide between “The Legend” and “The Man.” And by that I mean “Her Man.”  
> \- I had considered originally that Dante developed his senses in that manner first because Vergil tried to keep him on his toes by ambushing him regularly, but then I remembered that Vergil isn’t much the type to attack an honorable opponent from behind, and I don’t think he disrespects his brother that much, even as children.  
> \- Yes, I TOTALLY imagine Dante ambushing Vergil while shouting “VIBE CHECK!” even though it’s decades too early for the meme.  
> \- I am very very terrible about weddings. I actually don’t like wedding ceremonies. To me, the “bonding” is a private thing and I absolutely hate having to make it “public.” (I had a not-so great experience regarding other people meddling with my wedding, also. So mine didn’t end up as private as I wanted it.) Anyhow, I couldn’t muster the desire to write some sappy vows for Leo and Nova… and considering they are not the main focus of this fic, I think I can be forgiven for not making a grand writing out of it. (I will try harder for a _more important wedding_ , in the future of this fic.)  
> \- Sera at age 13 is taller than me by a significant amount. My heart cries, haha. 


	4. The First Sign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time can go by very fast. But in this time, certain foundations are built. Foundations that will make people who they are, and bring them to where they need to go.

From one of the first responses Eva had gotten from Lance, one of the things he had written was:

> _Devil’s blood is, of course, a bit of a fickle thing. Not that human nature isn’t somewhat fickle, but I digress._
> 
> _Though their development of their inhuman traits are important, the balance between that and their humanity will be important. Devils are not born with hearts. We develop them. But even with part-devils, the human aspect must be nurtured, lest the devil-instincts devour their own hearts._
> 
> _You may have an advantage over me. Perhaps Fortuna would allow your children to form a few meaningful friendships without consequences. And it is a blessing that they will have you to guide them._

* * *

Homeschooling her children had been a somewhat difficult task. Some of the knights of the Order, grateful for the few years of assistance, had family or connections with school teachers, and provided her with some material and basic curriculum outlines. 

Dante and Vergil were bright in their own ways, but it was easily obvious which one was studious and which one was not. Dante only did the minimal amount of work he needed to, unless it was regarding literature he was interested in. He could figure out math, but without anywhere to apply it, the work problems quickly became boring for him. Dante wasn’t very interested in theoretical things. If it works, it works.

Vergil didn’t seem to like math any better; reading of any sort was highly interesting to him, however. Literature, history, and even research materials… Eva started making sure to put away specific occult books that weren’t appropriate for his current study. 

But all the schooling in the world would not help with the social needs of children who needed more than just interacting with each other. 

So, at one of the main station buildings of the city for the Holy Knights, Eva set up a secondary study with all of her essentials to be able to treat injuries or research weird new things brought in, with even a secondary room for the boys to be able to study and hang out in. (The HQ, for whatever reason, was outside of the city, built precariously over water. It was actually very impressive, and the Order as a whole held important meetings there monthly.)

There was also the training room that the knights used. The boys very quickly found out about it, and soon, some of the more personable knights found it an utter joy to have such energetic kids around. Some of the more stern officers, of course, would come around and remind knights and children both about safety and protocol. Eva had been a little worried that someone might get hurt, but for the time being, it seems the twins have been careful, and they are receiving a bit more variety and _actual instruction_ on swordplay. 

Of course, it worked out okay for a few months, until Dante finally got bored with being cooped up in the same place. Eventually, he whined for permission to play out in the city. Eva had been reluctant at first, but she knew she couldn’t keep them indoors every day. Even Vergil, though he loved his books, craved activity every other day. 

Besides, at this point, most of the city knew of the boys. Those that were not shy interact and treat the family as part of the city quite adored the twins. (Dante was responsible for most of the positive reactions, which would then extend to Vergil, who would only warm up a bit after being shown some attention.)

Eva was careful to tell them how far they were allowed to go. She did her best to not use words and phrases that said “don’t go there.” Instead, she only told them: Please only stay within these boundaries. Hopefully, that would lessen any temptation for them to stray too far. 

* * *

Somedays, Dante ended up playing outside alone. Well, not entirely alone, but he considered it to be “alone” when Vergil would rather read whatever book he was enamoured with. 

Today, Eva had given the boys some allowance money. Which meant Dante was definitely going to get himself a strawberry sundae. 

It was nice, being able to hang out in the city while mom worked. She came into the city only as often as she needed to or wanted to, but in the course of a week, Dante and Vergil could definitely visit the city at least three times a week, if not more. 

The castle was nice, but Dante had to admit: he liked the city better. 

It was lively. There were people! And nice foods he could try! (Mom’s cooking was the best, but she didn’t always have time. The days where they would go to a pizzeria were also just as good!) 

Today, just as he finished the last of his sweet treat, he noticed movement up in a place where there shouldn’t be anyone: someone just leapt from one rooftop to another. 

_Whoa._ He blinked. _Who’s up there?_

Curiosity overpowering anything else, he left his spoon in the glass with a _clink_ , smiled and waved goodbye at the waitress who was coming by the table to collect the glass, grabbed his red jacket, and ran off in the direction where he saw the figure jump towards another balcony. 

He didn’t bother calling out, thinking it would be a little more fun to surprise the adventurous trouble-maker instead. (As if he wasn’t about to make trouble, himself.) Dodging into an alleyway, he found the perfect spot where, with a bit of a running start, he found places where he had leverage to easily hike up to a higher spot. With ease, he went over the gap between buildings, swung from a few iron railings, and quickly caught up to land right behind the mysterious roof-top stranger: “Boo!”

The person who turned around was clearly female, and _a familiar one_. She was startled, but not overly so. What probably startled them both was that they recognized each other. 

“Hey! I know you!” Dante exclaimed. Except he didn’t quite remember her name. 

The girl, dressed in plain clothes, with part of her hair braided back before it was tied into a ponytail, blinked at Dante, looked him up and down, and said: “It’s you! You’re… Dante, right? Vergil’s the one that wears blue? Unless you two like to mix it up…”

“Yep! I’m Dante! No way I’d wear Vergil’s colour! Who would want to be mistaken for that bookworm?” He grinned, but felt even more embarrassed now, because she clearly remembered his name. Well, might as well come clean: “Uh… I don’t really remember your name. Was it Sarah?”

“Oh. Close. Very close. It’s Sera!” 

Sera seemed a little different to him. Not that he could really think of why, from a single meeting, but he’s certain it’s not just because she’s in a plain shirt and some pants and boots, compared to when she was in a nice red dress. The brief observation dissolved entirely as she stepped up to him, tilted her head, and smiled: “You’ve gotten taller! Pretty sure it’s only been a little over a year!”

Last time they had met, there was almost 22cm [8”] of height difference between them. Dante couldn’t quite notice the barely 2cm [< 1”] of new height on Sera, but Sera could see that Dante was now close to 170cm [5’6”], making their height different less than 10cm [4”] now, which was a significant growth spurt that was to be expected from a young boy who went from age 11 to 12. (And he was only going to get taller.)

“Yeah! Miss Nova said that at this rate, Verge and I would be taller than mom!” 

“Nova sees you guys, too, huh…” Sera muttered, but then immediately changed the subject: “What are you doing up here?”

“What are _you_ doing up here? Didn’t we get in trouble last time for climbing up places we shouldn’t?” Dante just grinned nonchalantly. “Though, I guess mom did give us a free pass, last time.”

Sera glanced to the side in a brief moment of embarrassment, but then continued: “I’m just… sight-seeing. Where’s your brother?”

“Verge? Down at the main park, reading or something. Being boring today. But if I go too far he’s sure to come find me.”

“...You’re not thinking of following me around, are you?”

“I mean, depends! What are you up to? Might seem interesting!”

Sera blinked at him, and then looked around. They were clearly on the rooftop of someplace they shouldn’t be. But then, she pointed at one of the taller buildings, and said: “I want to get up there.”

“Well, let’s go! Bet I can get up there faster than you do!”

* * *

For the next month, Vergil noticed that, on the days where he didn’t explicitly remain by Dante’s side during their outings, there were times where his brother was clearly somewhere he shouldn’t be. Once, out of concern, he had tailed Dante, and found that his twin had been filling his time with a new friend. 

It certainly explained even more how Dante was burning through his allowance, because sometimes, Dante and Sera (Vergil actually recalled her name) would be sharing candy or some sort of treat with each other on a rooftop or balcony. 

So far, Dante hadn’t really gone far enough for him to be outside of the streets that mother had outlined for them to remain within… and _up_ was still within, correct?

If anyone thought that Vergil and his bookish ways meant that he was someone who would abide by the rules, they would be severely wrong. Though he wasn’t one to want to go against his mother, there was the matter that Dante would always be a free spirit. As far as he was concerned, watching Dante and Sera occasionally run from Holy Knights telling them to get off the roofs wasn’t anything terrible. If Sera was there, then whatever Dante was doing wasn’t too outlandish (by human standards), right?

Once in a while, Sera and Dante would even stop by the park bench he would be reading at, sit down at either side of him, and bother him. Well, it wasn’t always a bother. Sometimes, they brought him something to eat. 

It was nice.

He continued to keep a close eye on them on the days they hung out, and never bothered to step in when they were on the run from a knight or two. It seemed that, to them, that was part of their fun.

* * *

Leo never thought that dealing with children would be part of his job description as the Supreme General of the Holy Knights. (Shouldn’t that be more of a description for him when he’s off duty? Though, that… hasn’t quite come to pass. Yet. Both he and Nova had wanted to make sure to find the right time and, in the past year… the situation has been sitting at _not quite yet_.)

The incidents thus far have been mostly mild trespassing. No vandalism, thankfully. Nothing broken into, no locks damaged… just a lot of climbing into places one shouldn’t. It’s been almost a whole month of this going on, and then Knights started reporting back that they’ve seen another child with the girl in question. 

Most of the knights knew what they saw: Dante was a bit unmistakable, and it was helpful that the twins colour-coded themselves without fuss. 

And the main culprit in question, regardless of Dante’s involvement, was Seraphina. 

This was a bit of an issue. Even if they put in more effort to actually apprehend her, Leo already knew that wasn’t going to solve anything, because Sera’s acting out was nothing the orphanage was going to be able deal with easily, now that she was turning 15 this year.

Clarise and Raphael’s death, at the claws of demons, was a great big sore spot among the Order. They weren’t perfect. Every year or so, a civilian or two would meet death. But for Fortuna, this was part of normalcy. (Should they have a comparison to the mainland, then one could say it was similar to how tragedy happens in a high-crime-rate city.)

But, the more painful part of this entire scenario, was that a small part of the Order was divided on the aftermath. 

Sir Valkyrie, an older knight and officer of the Order, had refused to take in Sera. Though flesh and blood, he stood by his decision from when he disowned Clarise. Some of the other older knights and officers were part of the crowd that were callous to Sera’s situation because of Sir Valkyrie’s meddling and tongue-waggling. Many of the younger ones, however, were sympathetic, but couldn’t really do much to help in such a situation. After all, the girl was a teenager at this point. She wasn’t simply going to adjust into a new family that knew nothing about her, and not many people are willing to or able to take her in. 

But Nova, who sees Sera as something of a baby sister, had become very worried. Not only was Clarise her mentor, but she’s known Sera since the girl was five. And when Nova noticed how Sera had started skipping school, and left the orphanage for long periods of time, sometimes even past curfew, she became worried. 

She talked about it with Leo for a few nights. And they agreed that they had to do something to help her. In Leo’s case, if not just for the fact that he believed Sera deserved better, then it would be for his wife, who saw Sera as part of her family. 

But before they can figure out how to help Sera, Leo needs to be able to speak with her. Nova only had so many chances to be around the orphanage, and Sera already ran away from her once when she tried to broach the subject of her unruliness. Unfortunately, just about everyone in Fortuna knew who Leo was, and Sera, mistaking his presence as the hammer of authority, would dodge every chance he tried to take to speak with her. 

So, he brought this up with Lady Eva, while also informing her that he’s fairly certain Dante’s been hanging out with Sera. 

She sighed, and was thoughtful: “Well, I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten himself into any _worse_ trouble, yet. You know how he can get…”

Indeed. Leo visited the castle often, and sometimes, he would try his best to entertain the twins. As the boys grew, it became clear that, sooner or later, his little mock-sword-fights with them were going to end with him not providing enough challenge for children of their strength and caliber. Dante also seemed to have boundless energy, entertained not only by fighting but also by mischief. 

And being one of the few people who knew with certainty what Dante and Vergil were, he could certainly agree that it was a blessing how so far, this was the _worse_ of activities Dante could be getting into right now. 

Still, picnics probably shouldn’t be on rooftops they don’t have legal access to. 

“But maybe this could work out in your favor. I agree that they need to be convinced away from their rooftop antics, but you may be able to ask Dante to coax Sera to speak with you? If things get bad in any way from there, however, do let me know, and I’ll have a more stern talking-to with him.” Eva smiled. “But it would be better if we can keep their friendship intact. I could more easily tell Dante to stop, but that wouldn’t stop Sera, would it? It would only separate them. And then she’d be even more distraught…”

* * *

Sometime in the next week, Leo blessedly found a moment where Dante was entertained by roughhousing with some of the knights in the training room. Vergil must be with Eva, then. 

“Leo!” Dante was often happy to see him, as he did with anyone that he recognized. Unlike Vergil, however, Dante preferred familiar tones, and was often quick to drop off the formal titles and such. 

The child was just in the middle of play-fighting with one of the officers, but abandoned that activity to run and tackle Leo instead. Here in the training room, it was pretty much a free game for the kid: if you step in and he’s in an energetic mood, you might want to get ready to wrestle. And the kid’s gaining height fast. He’s already close to the average height of an adult, so imagine some of the knights already finding a 12 year old kid to be an opponent that might bruise you…

And many of the new recruits tend to leave with a bruised ego. Whichever knights that were teaching Dante and Vergil actual proper combat techniques didn’t know that they were helping to raise beasts…

Well, devils…

The whispering on the streets about the twins being “blessed” haven’t died down. Leo suspected that it was only going to get more complicated as they got older. 

Now, Dante might be stronger and taller than the average 12 year old, but he was still a kid. It took some effort, and because Dante knew he had to hold back his strength, Leo had a temporary win. (So far, the kid hadn’t really hurt anyone, even though he’s witnessed the twins pick up things way heavier than a normal person should be able to carry. The more regular social interactions with normal people seem to be going well.)

“Have you been behaving?” Leo teased him, though in truth, depending on the type of misbehavior, if the knights had to step in, then it would be his problem. 

“Of course!” 

With both of them sitting casually on the training mat, Dante’s cheeky grin, of course, spoke everything of the kid’s definition of “behaving.” 

“I’ve heard you made a new friend recently.”

“Yeah! It’s pretty great to have someone to hang out with when Vergil doesn’t want to play with me.”

“That’s good. Why don’t you bring them around sometime?”

Leo was hoping this encouragement would lead to a simple solution to allow him to finally be able to speak with Sera, but was surprised when Dante leapt to his feet, and responded as he folded his arms behind his head: “Nah. She doesn’t want to come by here.”

“Why not?” Leo remained sitting, not wanting to show how the gears in his head were turning with this information.

“She just doesn’t want to. So I’m not going to make her.”

Leo wondered if perhaps Sera had said anything more as to the reason why, or if maybe the girl had told Dante anything that had happened to her family. He wasn’t familiar with Seraphina. From what Nova described, Sera didn’t seem to be the shy sort… but then again, a traumatic experience probably wasn’t easy to talk about. 

“Then perhaps I could meet her outside of here? Would the two of you, or all three of you, with your brother, want a treat at some point?” If he could get a chance to speak with her at all, even among her friends, then afterwards, she might be willing to speak with him and Nova. 

Dante’s smile was somehow _knowing_ and coy. “That sounds nice. But I don’t think so. She doesn’t want to be around the Holy Knights. And I’m not selling out my friend!” Without even waiting for further response, he ran off, leaving Leo both dumbfounded and _worried._

While it was nice to see Dante could be such a loyal friend, there was a great big fundamental misunderstanding of the situation on Dante’s part. 

Leo could also only imagine that the reason why Sera didn’t want to be around any of the knights had to do with the rest of the Valkyrie family. 

The only reason why she was allowed to keep her name at all, was because, legally speaking, only titles could be stripped. Names, once given and accepted, belonged to the individual. 

* * *

The next morning, Leo had tried to approach Sera and Dante, but Sera pretty much absconded the moment she noticed him. Dante shrugged and said: “Told you she didn’t wanna be around ya.” And left to go after her. 

This left Leo in a bit of a predicament. He didn’t really want to have to rely on Eva’s intervention. But on his way back towards the offices, he passed through the main park, and saw that Vergil was there instead of being with Eva, reading. 

He then realized that there might still be a way about this. 

Vergil noticed him when he approached, but didn’t say anything at first, opting to go back to his reading. 

“Good morning, Vergil.” He sat down on the other side of the bench by the kid. 

Vergil closed his book after bookmarking his spot, and responded in his usual well-mannered way: “Good morning, Sir Leo. Do you have need of something?”

Well, he should have expected Vergil to be a bit more to the point. He might as well have a plain conversation with him: “I’ve noticed that Dante has been spending a lot of time with Seraphina lately.”

Vergil’s gaze flicked towards a direction, as if knowing where they might be, before responding: “If this is about their rooftop antics, I have no part in it, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to convince them to stop, either. It would only encourage Dante to do the opposite.”

“Yes, well, that isn’t quite your responsibility…” This entire situation was more of a “one thing at a time” matter. “But I do need to speak with Seraphina, but I’m afraid she’s been avoiding me.”

Vergil didn’t _say_ anything, but the slight tilt of his head and his critical gaze spoke volumes of “what did you expect?” 

“This isn’t entirely a matter of her acting out as of late. But if I can’t speak with her, then I can’t help her. I had hoped your brother would be able to convince her to speak with me, but it seems that even the offer of sweet treats would not make him budge over the simple fact that his friend… does not wish to be around me, or any of the Holy Knights.”

Oddly, a hint of a smile seemed to pull at Vergil’s lips when he heard this. “Dante is difficult to be bribed when he is loyal to his beliefs. Though, what is it that you need to help Sera with, that you need to speak to her about?”

Leo noticed that Vergil had referred to Seraphina as Sera. So maybe they were friends, after all. 

So, he told him, as simply as possible, about Sera’s recent status of becoming an orphan girl. That incident alone immediately brought about a glint of concern in Vergil’s eyes. Leo also told him, without saying too much, that the family that should have taken care of Sera were knights, but they didn’t want her, so now she’s upset. 

And he told him how he and Nova thought she deserved better than that.

“Where would you be, later today?” Vergil asked at the end of the explanation. 

“Well, I have to finish some work at the office. So I would likely be there. Why?” 

“Sometime around noon, I might be able to convince them to stop by.”

“Would you? An attempt would be appreciated.”

Vergil tucked his book under his arm and stood up from the bench. There was definitely a sly smile on his lips now. “If I do convince them to show up, maybe make good on the promise of sweets? I like the idea of that.” 

And he left, leaving Leo sitting on the bench, dumbfounded for the second day in a row. 

What he got out of this, was that Vergil would absolutely take advantage of a situation. 

How does Lady Eva deal with this kind of thing? Where children are unpredictably surprising you with their insight and behaviour at every turn?

* * *

Vergil knew exactly what direction to start in, in order to find Dante. And he’s fairly certain, where he would find Dante, he would find Sera. 

It didn’t take long to find them, sitting on the edge of an unoccupied rooftop terrace that they could only have gotten to if they had climbed up there. 

It was a shame that Sera was only human, and not privy to their secrets. Vergil thought this would have been a good moment to show of a little _trick_ he had been practicing. But maybe it was still too early. He wasn’t perfect at it, and without the Yamato, even one teleport might be too tiring. 

So, instead, he simply hiked up the wall and climbed up the ledge with ease. 

“Hey, Verge!” Dante greeted. Vergil noticed that their wooden practice swords were beside him. Had Dante been practicing sword fighting with Sera? That didn’t entirely seem wise, but he hasn’t heard anything about Sera getting hurt…

It made him a little curious. Was it that Dante did very well holding back, or was Sera stronger than she looked?

But on the subject of strength, he remembered why he was here in the first place. 

Instead of greeting his brother back, he circled around to sit on Sera’s other side, and then said to Dante: “I don’t believe the Knights, or mother, for that matter, are going to let this rooftop roaming continue.”

At first, Dante had opened his mouth to retort, but then closed it when the subject of their mother’s intervention was brought up. Dante wasn’t dumb, and though free-spirited, he wasn’t so defiant to the point where he’d cause trouble for their mother. But Vergil noticed how Dante nervously glanced over at Sera, as if concerned for her. 

Sera pressed her lips to a thin line, and then nodded: “It’s okay. You don’t have to always keep me company. It’s better if you don’t get in trouble with your mom.”

Vergil saw this opportunity, despite how tactless it was, to bring up: “What about your parents? Aren’t you going to get in trouble with them, too?”

Sera’s gaze dropped, but Dante leaned forward and gave Vergil this _look_. It was a look of ‘No.’

So, Dante knew something. Maybe not everything, but enough to know that it’s a sore subject for Sera. 

“They’re dead.” Sera said plainly. 

Before Dante could stop him, Vergil asked softly: “What happened?”

“Demons. You know. Bad luck. But mostly just…” She shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just the fact of my life right now. My family is dead. That’s it. No one wants me. So I don’t care anymore.”

“Hey! We like you!” Dante cut in.

A bitter smile showed on her lips. “You’ve been a great friend, Dante, but that’s not… you’re my friend. You’re not…”

“Family.” Vergil finished for her. “The people you relied on are not in your life anymore.” He understood that she wasn’t brushing them off. 

Dante inhaled. “Right. Right…” He then sighed. “I get what you mean. When family isn’t around anymore, it hurts. It was like that for us, when dad left… I can’t imagine how bad it is for you, right now, losing both your mom and your dad.”

It was rare that Dante would ever bring this up. Even after he and Vergil reconciled over the fact that their father had left, it was still a sore subject. 

But Vergil thought back on it, and was compelled to tell her: “It was more than that. We almost lost our mother, and each other, too. To demons. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” 

Sera shrugged solemnly. “It’s been almost a year. I miss them. I miss them but I’m also very, very upset at… at my mom’s stupid family.”

“What do you mean?” Dante asked. 

So there were things Sera hadn’t mentioned before, even to Dante. 

“I guess you wouldn’t really know, since you mostly lived up in the castle. And why would the adults talk about this in front of you guys, anyway? But my mom was disowned. Her dad didn’t like my dad, and he says awful things about him and my mom. And then, after mom and dad died...” She shifted back from the ledge a bit, so that she could bring her knees up and hug her arms around them. “They don’t want me. So I have to go to the orphanage instead.”

“That’s awful!” Dante just about shouted. “How can they be like that? Aren’t you family?”

Sera shook her head. “I was never their family. They disowned mom before I ever existed. And they’re _knights_. They’re people who should be protecting others, but not only were they not there…” She started to tear up. “It’s pathetic. I can’t rely on them. I can’t even rely on myself. What am I supposed to do?”

Well, Vergil could sympathize, but only by so much, as his answer came easily: “Live. and be stronger than what you were before.”

Though she was tearing up, she hadn’t actually started crying. Upon hearing Vergil’s words, she inhaled, and then exhaled with a puff of her cheeks, somewhat frustrated: “What do you think I’m doing? Demons didn’t do me in, so, yeah, I’m living. All on my lonesome, with no one to rely on, and no one to go back to. I’m unwanted, and nothing I do matters anymore.”

It was there that Vergil realized exactly what kind of help Sera needed, and understood why Leo was looking for her. 

“What if you don’t have to be alone?” He questioned. 

Dante, somewhat misunderstanding the situation, added: “Yeah! You have us! We’re friends, right? And I still care!”

Somewhat irritated at how Dante missed the mark, though he couldn’t blame his brother, Vergil continued: “Your mother’s… family, or perhaps I should say, her former family...” He thought carefully about the words he wanted to use here, and decided this was as good of a situation as any to use stronger language: “They can go to hell.”

“Whoa!” Dante cracked a grin. “Well, he’s not wrong. You don’t deserve this kind of treatment, Sera.” 

“My point,” Vergil wrested the conversation back, “Is that there are better people who are concerned and may be able to help you. However, they can’t help you if they are unable to speak to you.”

* * *

Leo almost let out a sigh of relief when Eva lightly knocked on his office door and entered with a smile, telling him that he had three very special guests. Sera, Dante, and Vergil followed behind her, and the first thing Sera did when she entered the office was blurt out how she was sorry that she was skipping school and running amok the city. 

She even broke down crying, words about how she felt abandoned streaming from her, and both Leo and Eva took the moment to soothe the girl. Leo thought that perhaps he should call it a day and bring Sera to Nova, so that they could all have a conversation, but one glance at Vergil and he knew he had to make good on a promise, first. 

So now, with Eva included, the five of them sat at an outdoor table of the very cafe that Sera’s parents used to take her for ice cream. (It happened to be the same one that Nova had recommended to Eva, years ago.)

Sera’s tears have dried and her eyes were considerably less red now. For a little while, Leo told her that, yes, she needed to go back to school, and that yes, she shouldn’t be running around rooftops like that. But more importantly, he told her that Nova had been worried, and that Sera still had a life ahead of her. 

He asked her if she wanted to go back to her gymnastics classes. She used to do so well in them, after all. The orphanage didn’t really have the time to take her to things like that, but Leo promised her that he and Nova could find the time to help her, and give her the support she needed to ease into independence better. 

But surprisingly, she shook her head, and asked him: “Leo, the starting age for recruits for knighthood is 16, right?”

“Yes, but…” He didn’t like where this was going. 

“So, if I go back to school, and stay in school, I can take the vocational route for the recruitment selections for the Holy Knights, right?”

Though this wasn’t something Eva needed to be concerned about, she was concerned nonetheless: “Seraphina, are you certain this is something you want to get into? Training to become a knight is admirable, but… that’s a big change in life choices.”

“I’m certain.” Sera nodded. “The Valkyrie Family didn’t want me… and they weren’t there for us when we were attacked. And they pride themselves on being part of the Order’s Knights. The Holy Knights are part of the backbone of the Order. It’s part of how we honor The Saviour. We protect this city under his name… and after what happened to my parents, I can’t help but feel like I could do more. Do _better_.” 

“Sera, you don’t have to put that kind of responsibility on yourself.” Leo understood that part of her loss has twisted her idea of where she needed to place her self-worth, but her desire wasn’t entirely bad. It was just…

Not fair. That she felt that way. 

“No, this is what I want to do. I have nowhere else to place my honor, but to show everyone that not only did I survive, but next time I will be able to fight back. Yes, I’m being a little bit spiteful, but this is what I want. Besides, Dante is already showing me how to handle a sword.” She responded resolutely. 

As Leo held back a sigh, he watched as Eva and Vergil both glanced over at Dante. 

“She asked! And she’s learning just fine! Plus, she’s pretty good at it! Don’t look at me like that!” Dante whined. 

“So you’ve been practicing. Interesting. Maybe I should have hung out with you two more frequently.” Vergil seemed a little surprised. 

Eva sighed. “Boys, don’t get carried away with this. After all, Sera hasn’t… had years of practice.” It was her subtle hint to remind them that she was still human. 

But Vergil was somewhat intrigued by something else: “Sir Leo, what are the requirements for becoming a Knight, other than needing to be at least the age of 16?”

“Recruitment starts at 16. Knighthood goes to recruits who have completed regiment and proved themselves worthy.” Leo corrected. He wasn’t certain if he was ready for this conversation. Eva had brought up to him, once before, that she was concerned about what her sons could do for their future. She wasn’t able to put them through normal schooling, and it seems that other than reading for Vergil, the twins’ greatest passion was fighting. 

It has already been brought up that, should they try to put that passion to use, a position among the Knights might be the only option. However, with the twins being not only _who_ they were but _what_ they were, they would probably not be able to fall into rank like any normal person. 

Thankfully, Lady Eva told Vergil: “I understand your curiosity, Vergil. But perhaps we can talk about this a little later?” She smiled at both Vergil and Dante. “You still have four years to consider. And perhaps you should finish your ice creams, before they melt?”

Content to leave that topic for now, the boys did as their mother suggested. Leo told Sera: “If that is what you wish, then simply do your best, and we’ll see how you perform for the selection, okay?”

Sera nodded, and responded with a soft “Thank you.”

Dante then encouraged: “I’m sure you’ll make an awesome knight, Sera! And, hey, there aren’t a lot of lady knights, are there? If you become a knight, that would be so cool!”

She blushed an adorable shade of pink. “T-that would be cool, would it? But I’d have to be selected, first.”

“Then keep training.” Vergil said plainly, in his own form of encouragement. “Become better, and formidable, by the time you’re old enough for the selection. Dante doesn’t have to be the only one you can practice with, either.”

The children at the table may have missed it, but Leo saw the slight moment of concern that showed on Eva’s face. It seemed that she had to sort out a few things when she got home, with her children, after hearing this conversation. 

But, at this point, Leo could at least say that things went well. So, Sera wanted to become a knight? Well, he could certainly aid her training, form, and behavior towards that. 

He was also already getting ready to speak to His Holiness about the possibility that he and Nova could list Sera as their ward. For the next few years, she still needed some form of reliable adult presence behind her, and even if it will only be for a few years, it wouldn’t hurt to be her legal guardian. 

If by the time she became a legal adult, she had truly become a knight, and he, her superior officer, then that wouldn’t be the worst, either. It would probably ease Nova’s heart somewhat, that he would be present as some form of support still. After all, the Supreme General wasn’t just one who commands the Knights. He needed to have their backs, as well.

The one thing he wasn’t entirely looking forward to, was the inevitable placement of Vergil and Dante. 

His Holiness had mentioned already, that the twins would become something of interest among the city, once they have found their place within it. And that place would probably end up being something outside of any normal hierarchy they have in the city. 

In fact, by all rights, the Sons of Sparda outrank anyone or any design within the Order. 

And no one was certain what kind of life these two would like to live.

* * *

Two years went by quickly. 

Seraphina proved herself to be a resolute young woman, and upon turning 16, passed the requirements for the selection and became one of the recruits of the Holy Knights. 

That same year, before she had turned 16, Leo and Nova welcomed a new member into their family: their newborn son, Credo. 

Nova insisted that Sera had a place in the family in some way, and tried to suggest the girl as her son’s godmother. Sera was extremely embarrassed over the whole thing, and respectfully accepted that she’ll be “auntie” and left it at that for now. 

In the years that have gone by, Eva was surprised to find how fast time went by. 

Vergil and Dante were now 14. She couldn’t believe how six years had gone by so fast, and there was a pang in her heart at how, after six years, there was no word from Spencer. 

But her children seemed to settle into life in Fortuna fairly well, and in the course of the years, they were clearly happier, and stronger. 

There have been recent incidents while they were out in the city, where they came across a demon attack. When she had first heard about it, she was worried to no end. But despite what had happened in the past, Vergil and Dante were no longer the eight-year-old children of the past who could barely fight back. 

According to the knights that may witness what happened, the demons were decimated. 

The twins had begun taking their swords with them on their outings, having grown into the height of nearing 180cm [5’10”]. There was a certain brashness welling from them, too. It was in their nature to fight, to find challenges, and they couldn’t always take it out on each other. It also didn’t help that certain demons, once they caught scent of the boys, would try to hunt them down. 

But each and every one of them would meet their demise at Vergil or Dante’s blade. 

The city’s talk buzzed, and some people even tried to ask Eva a bit more of her mysterious circumstances as “The Lady of the Castle.” She continued as she did, remaining cryptic but never confirming things. 

“Blessings come in many forms. The greatest blessing is the ability to love.” She would say. 

She knew that she was at the point where, even if they hid Vergil and Dante’s connection to Sparda, they wouldn’t be able to hide their inhuman heritage. “Blessed” might be what they need to settle for, and try to keep it that way. 

Thankfully, the older they got, the better they understood why they should keep quiet. Dante was already finding it quite laughable and uncomfortable that “The Saviour” referred to Sparda. Vergil found it somewhat amusing, but he liked being unbothered, and abhorred the idea of his parentage being known for that simple fact alone. 

Still, no matter how well they could handle themselves, Eva was still their mother, and she worried for their safety. 

Vergil had begun to unlock certain abilities with the Yamato, which was good. But Dante had a completely different approach to fighting. 

Eva decided that on their next birthday, it was time to make good on giving Luce and Ombra to Dante. Order’s “traditions” be damned. If they thought Sparda wouldn’t appreciate the convenience of a gun, they were dead wrong. 

* * *

There was one other thing Eva wished she had a more concrete answer on. Sadly, Lance’s response to her letter regarding part-devil maturity was… only somewhat helpful:

> _Lady Eva,_
> 
> _This is one area in which I wish I could give you a more solid answer, but on the subject of sexual maturity and drive, I regret to inform you that Spencer’s more responsible for those traits._
> 
> _How a part-devil’s biological functions turn out, within my family, has been somewhat of a mixed results sort of situation. For the most part, nothing is physically different from a human person. Anything is all up in the air._
> 
> _My only advice to you is to emphasize the point of consent, and to tell your sons to be wise about whom they choose for partners. They will also need to be wary of their strength… Perhaps an emphasis on trust will be needed, also._
> 
> _If it’s any consolation, I do not recall Spencer ever having heat cycles, so perhaps that won’t be a worry. However, even as devils, we never had a need to know that about each other. We are incompatible, after all. The only other warning I have is that even hybrids can be induced to rut. The details vary from person to person._
> 
> _Ruts are terribly hard to “wait out.” Without a proper mate, such a scenario will likely cause more harm than good._
> 
> _Sincerely,_
> 
> _Lance_
> 
> _P.S. In case this becomes a future-reference situation, but contraceptive pills for human women are not entirely effective on hybrid females. Devils react more strongly to certain pheromones than what human hormones can do._

* * *

By the time Vergil and Dante turned 15, they were slightly taller than their mother, and had resigned to most of the city treating them like they were something special. 

Vergil tried to keep curiosities away by putting up a cold front, but all it did was attract the attention of a different swooning crowd. 

Dante still retained his warm personality, and on some levels, he played at being simple-minded and oblivious. Which… still did not help keep away curious people. 

Though they were still young, each of them were growing into handsome young men. They were Eva’s pride and joy, but also a source of constant worry now that they were in their teens. The castle somehow no longer seemed big enough for their antics, and they went about the city regularly. Sometimes, they deliberately hunted down demons. Other times, they caused small amounts of trouble with some of the other teenagers in the city. (This oftentimes included Sera in their antics. At least that friendship held strong.)

It took everything for Eva to convince them that, at the very least, they should never leave the city, the castle, or stray from the path in between, until they have properly become knights and had the authority to go out to the rest of the island on their own. 

Like nestlings getting too big for their nest… She wasn’t ready for them to go too far, yet. 

There was one thing circling about the city that had Eva smiling to herself, however. 

The gossip among teenagers often would reach the ears of gossiping adults. Through the grapevine, Eva had heard about the pining going on among young girls. It was a funny thing, to hear about girls talk about her children as if they were idols. 

On many levels, the twins did have that status. 

_King of Thorns and Prince of Roses._

It was somewhat sweet and _very_ high-school-cringe. But it suited them just well. 

* * *

In less than a year, Vergil and Dante would be old enough to apply for selection for recruitment. At this point, the reasons for applying have compounded. At first, it was because the sense of honor that ought to come with it appealed to them. Following that, they both believed that it would be good to follow into knighthood with Seraphina. Though human, she was a valuable friend and sparring partner to compare with… and a good benchmark for the twins to continue to be reminded of where human ability plateaued. 

Eva eventually reiterated to them that it would be good to have routine and responsibility added to their lives. At first, as children, there wasn’t much appeal to it. But as they got older, it became a consideration of how there was no better place for them to be able to put their unique abilities to use. 

Silently, Vergil and Dante have begun to view Fortuna as more than just their home. A part of them viewed Fortuna as their territory. The demons that dropped through, they didn’t just kill because it was the right thing to do. It wasn’t just because they should protect the people of their home. It was also because they felt like the demons were an intrusion. 

And they did not like other beings undermining the safety of their territory, their home, and the people within. 

Despite how odd it was, to be the Sons of Sparda, living among the Order of the Sword, they also found merit in some of the Order’s ideals. Their devotion to the art of the sword was something familiar and loved by the twins. The ideology of knighthood in the Order, also, was appealing. The Order was a little bit too fervent on Sparda’s whole “saving humanity” thing, but at this point, it was also something the twins each learned to appreciate. 

_Sparda was a devil with a human heart, who could love, feel joy, and feel sadness._ Something their mother held as important, and so did they. 

So, with these as the foundations for what made Vergil and Dante so attached to Fortuna, there came a day when Sanctus, former Supreme General and potential next Archbishop of the Order, came knocking at the castle doors, wishing to speak with The Lady of the Castle about something…

And Sanctus was soon to learn how insignificant and foolhardy his ideals were, when faced with true justice descended from The Saviour himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The only good thing about math for me was that it trained me in a certain ability to perform logical thinking, and I still make use of geometry a lot. And as far as I’m concerned, Dante and Vergil will only need geometry and basic arithmetic at best. We’ll save the, uh, higher maths, for _someone special_.  
> \- I know I’ve been throwing a lot of numbers around for height, but like… what other opportunity are we going to get where we can illustrate parts of their growth? :D  
> \- I know zilch about parenting so I just hope to dear god nothing feels off. Besides that, I also feel like the setting and place they live in, despite being at the crux of a giant hell-gate, there isn’t a lack of an environment for children to be running around without supervision.  
> \- I had put some serious thought into the likelihood of someone getting hurt simply because the twins are overall stronger than the average human being, and decided that they have and will learn well how to control their strength. That’s not to say they won’t ever mess up, but I’m trying to write fluff, so I’m keeping the accidents to a minimum.  
> \- The legality of names was simply a rule of my choosing. No historical value to it at all. It simply felt right. (I’m a firm believer in names being something very important to devils, also. And Fortuna’s Order revolves around a devil.)  
> \- I don’t think the schooling system in Fortuna is entirely like that of anything modern or in mainland. I also don’t think it’s something I need to explore heavily, but I think at about 16, there’s more focus on vocational choices. “Higher education” has a different meaning there, I think.


	5. The Second Sign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanctus sorely overestimates what he can get away with, before he even gets to start. But other than that, it's just life as usual, right? You grow up, you live through life's obstacles, and at some point, you think about smelling some roses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's fanart embedded at the end of this chapter. <3

They knew they had a guest. A guest who wished to speak to their mother. 

Still, whenever guests arrived, Vergil and Dante often… patrolled. They acted like they were going somewhere else, passing by the guest room or their mother’s study, keeping an eye on whatever guests came by, unless it was someone they trusted. (Truthfully, they only trusted Leo and Nova. They also trusted Sera, but when Sera stopped by the castle, it was to see them.)

Today, it was some old geezer named Sanctus. And just from gut feeling alone, the twins did not like him. 

After the third subtle pass they made past one of the open doors on the second level of the entrance hall, where Eva and Sanctus sat at a guest table, Vergil suddenly hushed Dante, and pulled his brother close to the doorframe. 

They listened. 

“—You insinuate things you do not understand, Sanctus.”

“Do I? Was it not your desire for knowledge that led you to becoming a witch? Knowledge, which is power in it’s own?”

“Desired, yes. Knowledge as power? Not untrue. But what you ask for, from my view, is an invasion of privacy. Sparda’s history is not yours to pry into. Let legends remain as legends.”

“Milady, surely you are interested in learning more of what the demonic world can offer to mankind? After all, you have proof of that kind of power already. Your sons—”

“I tire of this, Sanctus. Spit out what it is you are truly seeking.”

There was a surprising amount of venom in Eva’s voice. One that made Dante’s blood run cold. He’s not sure if he’s ever heard that tone from her before. No, wait… once, perhaps, a long time ago, when they were on death’s door…

This solidified Dante’s thought that this “Sanctus” was not friendly. 

“Why, Milady… perhaps if we look into the history, and look into more regarding the demonic powers and how to harness it, we may yet find ways to seek what it lost? To find… The Saviour?”

Eva stood from her seat. Lenore seemed to have appeared from the shadows, circling around the hall before coming down to land on Eva’s outstretched but lax arm, and Nowell appeared from smoke, circling from her to around Sanctus.

“Tell me, Sanctus. Who do you think I am?”

“Well, Milady, as the Lady of the Castle, you are certainly a considerably powerful witch. You must be, to have been allowed such… blessed gifts, to remain with you. The Rebellion, The Yamato, and _wielders_ of those blades, to be at your side? But you yet not have all that Sparda could have offered you, correct? The protection that could have come with his full powers were never granted to you, and you were left defenseless at the hands of demons. Did you not come here to seek for answers, to grasp what you did not have on hand in the past?”

The retired Former Supreme General seemed unfazed at the display of familiars. 

Eva, however, was not impressed: 

“So you believe my desires to be in regards to Sparda’s power?” She narrowed her eyes. 

“Why else would a witch wish to seek out the Legendary Dark Knight?”

And to that, Eva said with an air of pity to Sanctus: “A witch who wasn’t chasing power beyond her needs. I did not seek the power of Sparda. I sought the power of love. It only so happened that the one to give it to me was Spencer.” And she said his name so softly, so warmly, that it finally drew a sense of confusion from Sanctus.

“Why… what do you mean…? Did someone else bring you his power?”

“You are a _disgrace_ to my husband’s name and legacy.” Eva spoke in a low voice. “You seek only power. You seek only your own gain. You… are dismissed. Leave. You are not welcome to set foot into this castle.”

Though Dante knew that his brother would imitate the cool and calm of their father, he wondered now, if the tone of his distaste came from the angered side of their mother. 

“But surely…”

Vergil moved before Sanctus could complete his thought. Dante immediately moved to catch up, but Vergil was faster. 

With a teleport, Vergil was immediately in front of Sanctus, Yamato drawn at the man’s neck. Dante wasn’t too far behind, but instead of getting up close and personal, he drew the pistols his mother had given him, and pointed Luce at the man. 

“Are you, perhaps, becoming deaf in your old age?” Vergil taunted. “You heard my mother. You’re no longer welcome here.”

But even in fear, there are the foolish who still hold bravado: “Ah… the blessed ones… Sparda’s kin, no?” Sanctus muttered, though the tone of reverence held no good intent. 

Dante wasn’t exactly sure how Vergil was going to handle this situation, so he spoke from behind his brother: “Cut the crap, old man. What do you want? Get your yes or no answer and then leave.”

He could see how the man was trying to turn his cogs: “Why, perhaps you’d understand. There’s still so much potential, so much power, to be unlocked. Don’t you wish to seek greater power?”

“Power. Yes, without power, you cannot protect anything. Not even yourself.” Vergil mused a familiar tune, but then he pressed the Yamato’s blade closer to the man’s neck: “But why would you need the power of a Sparda?”

Eva said softly: “Vergil…”

The teen, barely 16 yet, glanced back: “I simply wish to make a few things clear with him, mother. Trust me. Now,” glancing back at Sanctus, he continued: “Tell me, what makes you think you are worthy of Sparda’s power?”

Sanctus' expression turned into something of frustration, knowing he was being taunted. But he did not respond. 

Dante knew that, in truth, he couldn't shoot the guy. He pointed Luce away, and changed his stance while resting his pistol on his own shoulder, and rolled his eyes: "Whatever the reason, it's probably self-serving and stupid. Besides, last I checked, an inheritence goes to the spouse and children. Wanna go to court about it?"

Vergil, surprisingly, held back a laugh: "A losing battle from the start." 

Nowell finally circled back to Vergil, and lightly nudged Vergil's arm, probably at Eva's insistence. So then Vergil backed off by half a step, and sheathed the Yamato. 

And the old fool, thinking he still had a chance in hell to get his words in, scoffed: "You let that power go to waste, then. With that power, one could do so much more. Be so much more--"

At that, Vergil actually responded menacingly: "Much more what? Like the Saviour?"

Dante found this entire thing ridiculous, and laughed. "What? Having that power equates to being like our old man?" 

Eva, solemnly, but without any more pity for Sanctus, walked up to the scene. Lenore left her arm to circle out of view, but Dante knew she was never going to be far. 

"Someone like you would only be consumed by power." Eva sighed. "You cannot grow into power by simply taking it from others."

"Why don't we simply make a few things clear?" Vergil followed up. "You are not worthy of father's power. You never will be. It's preposterous that you would even think so. Did you perhaps think that your... Lord and Saviour, let's say... that after centuries of being away, would mean that you are thus entitled to what is his?"

Dante snorted. His brother always had to put on such airs. But he supposed it was an appropriate time for it. Sanctus was beginning to show a face of distaste, as if all his plans have crumbled before him, all because of some kids. 

So he added insult to injury: "You know, we might be 15 but we're not dumb. This island does not belong to any singular person in the Order. That goes for whatever else dear ol' pops left. And this is our home, you hear me? Kinda rude to be stepping on our toes."

Sanctus began to seethe: "You--"

"Are the devils you dared to cross." Vergil cut his sentence off coldly. But Eva reached over to put a placating hand on his shoulder. Dante walked forward to stand on Vergil's other side, while Eva spoke:

"I think this matter is fairly simple, whether it be from the point of view of devils or humans. You are seeking something that doesn't belong to you. To continue, would mean you bring ruin upon yourself."

And so Dante holstered his guns at his back, and finalized the conversation with: "We don't need your blood on our hands, but listen up: don't fuck up." He then momentarily regretted his choice of words.

" _Dante_." Eva warned disapprovingly. Dante cleared his throat:

"Sorry, mom. But what I mean is, don't do something stupid. You try to threaten us on our territory again..."

"That would be a true act of blasphemy, wouldn't it?" Vergil added. Not exactly where Dante was going with it, but sure, why not?

Sanctus had no other choice but to slowly back away, and leave through the doors from whence he came in from. As he left, he could only stutter: "I... will take my leave, Milady." And for good measure, he paused and added with trepidation: "Milords."

As the door closed, Vergil muttered: "Utter foolishness."

Eva walked around to pull both of them close. “You two are wonderful children, you know that, right?”

* * *

Barely a month later, a new Vicar was chosen, as the previous one retired. 

Sanctus had strangely quieted down, and did not step up to the position. 

The new Vicar, in his office, jumped when the empty air above his desk distorted, as if cut open, and something fell through. The sound of thick paper landing on wood conveyed a moment of a guillotine. 

A letter. 

The Vicar picked it up with trepidation, but his hands did not tremble until he flipped it over to see the wax seal: the seal of Lord Sparda. Recognizable, and one that none would dare to imitate. 

But he knew of the occupants of the castle. He knew and he dared to believe that they were more than blessed. 

Dared to believe that this was the genuine seal. 

The letter within was short:

> _Lead not for the glory, but for the good.  
>  _ _Seek not for treasure that is not yours,  
>  _ _See only that it remains protected._
> 
> _Keep warm that which is home,  
>  _ _That which is humanity’s goodness._
> 
> _Love is the true legacy which Sparda left behind.  
>  _ _Love is your Saviour._
> 
> _Do not turn your back on love._

The Vicar knew better than to treat this letter as some vague pleasantry towards his new position. 

It was a warning. 

Now, the new Vicar didn’t exactly know why such a warning was needed, but he indulged in the thought that the Lady of the Castle was more than just a witch with a good heart, and that her sons were truly the children of Sparda. And if that were true, then this meant…

They came home. 

And regardless of what this meant for the status of The Saviour, this letter was a declaration. It was a show of power. 

It was a reminder that, above the Vicar, there was still a Lord. 

Two, in fact. 

* * *

“Man, that was the cheesiest warning letter we’ve ever written.”

“You mean that I wrote it, with your input.”

“You think it’ll get the point across?”

“Well, it was you who said that it’s better to appeal to the human tendency to love, instead of threatening them.”

Dante shrugged. “You act all cold about it, but you believed me, right?”

“Of course. Father loved mother. Father loved us. I do not wish to believe otherwise.”

“Yeah. And as mom said… we survived because of love, right?”

* * *

One day, when Lenore came back with letters, Eva noticed that she only dropped one off, but was still holding on to another small bundle of letters. When she reached out to try and take them, Lenore hopped away, and trilled a note that conveyed: Not for you!

The raven familiar then playfully hopped to the open window, and left. 

Eva wondered what exactly that was about. The only thought she had was that perhaps Lance wrote to the boys, but there were clearly more than two letters in that bundle. 

Opening the letter she received, however, answered her question. 

And roughly half an hour later, Dante showed up at the door of her study, asking: "Hey, mom? You sent photos of us to dad's friend?"

The boys had known that she kept some matter of correspondence with a devil by the name of Lance. At one point, they had asked her what kind of devil Lance was, and Eva drew a blank. 

All of her contact with him had been for only two things: information, and then a very normal kind of exchange about family. 

So, all she could tell them was: "He's a devil who loves his family, just like how your father loved us."

While this did open up more curiosities, she had little more to answer with when her sons asked for more details. 

Little by little, through the trickle of information exchange, Vergil and Dante learned that there were three other part-devils, "like them." Eva never pried about the other children, though Lance was always generous with photos. Vergil once asked if they would ever meet, with a clear interest and intent of wanting to fight. 

Some things in the blood simply do not change. 

"I have sent a few, yes. And Lance sent back plenty of his family's photos. Did you want to see?"

Dante shrugs. "Sure, I guess? Kassy sent these." He held out a small stack of photos towards her. "I don't know what to do with them. And, uh... what photos of us did you send?"

"Not a lot. Mostly birthday photos." She responded as she reached into a bookcase where she kept two photo albums. One of them contained everything Lance had mailed to her.

Lance sent them like clockwork: Every child's birthday, and every Lunar New Year, and again every June 1st, which was apparently Children's Day where he lives. 

These photos sent by Kassy were a little different, however. Without the pretense of festivities and dress-ups, there were photos of her and her brothers in casual clothes and casual instances… and by casual instances, she meant that Kassy had sent various photos of her and her brothers doing weapons training. 

There was a singular photo of Kassy sitting casually upon the railing of a pagoda, dressed in something that wasn't her practice clothes. Stockings, short skirt, tank top, and a black leather vest. A look that, while not actually indecent by normal world standards, would be somewhat scandalous by Fortuna standards. (Eva herself did not bother to change how she dressed by much, and the city would simply have to get used to it. Besides, it might do the city some good to be introduced to some change.)

Looking at the photo of Kassandra King, Eva said warmly: "Why, she's grown up to be a pretty young girl."

Dante scratched the back of his head. "She, uh, dresses pretty differently, huh?"

Eva could feel her amusement bubble up, and she teased: "You don't like it?"

"No! I mean... I do. Uh... it's different. She looks pretty. No one else dresses like that around here."

No. No one else really would. But Eva thought about Dante's closeness with Seraphina. "Is it something you'd like to see Sera wear?"

She expected for her son to get flustered, but instead, Dante thought about it and then shrugged: "Sera? In a skirt like that? Nah. I think she rocks what she wears now just fine."

What Sera wears now was oftentimes her uniform. There weren't a lot times she visited without being in uniform. The young lady has been ruthless in getting extra training in, and Dante and Vergil have become her favorite practice partners. 

Well, Eva thought it might be a bit too early to tease Dante about his friendship with Sera, so instead she asked: "Well, I might be prying a bit, but what did the other kids write to you about?"

"Umm... All three letters were addressed to both me and Vergil. It was kind of awkward. Well, Kassy wrote a lot about asking what life was like in Fortuna, and asking what things we liked. Seems like she was the one that wanted to write to us the most. Her brothers..." Dante shrugged. "Wrote a lot less. Was probably less curious. Except that one of them wanted to challenge us to a fight." 

Eva couldn't help but laugh at that, and Dante grinned as he continued: "Yeah, would be nice if we could, right? Maybe in the future?"

"Maybe in the future, when we could visit, or the other way around. Do you plan on writing back?"

"Don't see why not. It's the nice thing to do, right?"

She smiled and told him: "You know what would also be a nice thing to do? Tell Kassy she looked pretty in her photo."

* * *

> _Hey Kassy!_
> 
> _Thanks for the letter and photos. I don’t really know what to respond with though. Life in Fortuna is nice I guess? I don’t know what else to say about it. I guess it’s not the same as Redgrave, where we lived before? But all cities are kinda different right?_
> 
> _But I guess if I had anything interesting to share, we have knights here! Vergil and I are going to become knights like our friend Sera. She’s pretty awesome. You might like her too._
> 
> _I think Verge is responding to your brothers so I don’t think I’ll need to respond? And maybe next time I’ll ask mom to get a photo of me and this awesome new coat she bought for me. It feels just a bit too long right now but it’s amazing!_
> 
> _Dante_
> 
> _P.S. I forgot earlier but you look nice!_

* * *

Leo was at another loss on what to do. 

It’s barely been a few months since Vergil and Dante have become recruits. There was no doubt as to whether or not they would make it in; from when they were pre-teens, the Order knew what potential they had. They were already fighting back demons before becoming proper recruits; it’s safe to say that they could skip the stage of being recruits altogether, if not for the fact that they ought to still learn the proper discipline of being a Holy Knight. 

Even then, there was also the matter of their future in the Order. 

The Order’s Higher-Ups, including himself and His Holiness, didn’t need to be told the true identity of Lady Eva, or that of the twins. 

The Sons of Sparda had the right to high positions. And the new Vicar, alongside Leo as the Supreme General, had recently broached the subject with Lady Eva. 

“They have a choice, on how they may live their lives. Their nature and their strength alone will not define them, and they are still young. Give them time.” Eva suggested that, though it’s true they are more than human, that didn’t mean they needed to immediately be placed into a position of power. 

Rather, should they need to be set apart from their peers, it should still be at a baseline where they could branch out from. 

Still, that was easier said than done. Perhaps Leo was thinking about this a little too early, but he can’t decide whether he should have them each lead their own squads, or give them their own patrol routes and shifts together. 

Individually, they were already strong. But they were not the best candidates for actual leadership. 

And then, Leo felt a tremor in the ground. 

That never bode well. 

And then he felt it again. It felt distant. 

It was then that one of the knights knocked loudly on his office door: “General Leo! Sir, something’s happening at HQ!”

* * *

Vergil knew that, someday, he would be faced with hard challenges in life again that meant “live or die.”

That was what the event at eight years old was. And now, eight years later, he was met with another one of these events… except he had envisioned it naively. 

He foolishly thought that, whatever terrible thing life was going to throw their way, it was going to be another attack on his family. 

Never did he imagine that it was going to be an incident that brought harm to a friend. He knew also that he should care more for the one fatality that happened, but at the moment, he was more concerned on whether or not Seraphina was going to survive. 

From what he had gathered after the incident, two young (and idiotic) knights had broken into where they should not have, all for some form of bravado in search of “a weapon that would make them stronger.” They most certainly found _something_. 

A Devil Arm. 

And more often than not, a Devil Arm will not simply adhere to someone they deem unworthy. Those that are unworthy, die. 

It was pure coincidence that he and Dante were close to the scene at all. They were being given a tour of the Headquarters. (Why it was built precariously over water was beyond him.) Sera had been there on other business; whatever had brought her down to the scene of the incident in the first place, Vergil did not know. 

All that he knew was that two large demonic presences suddenly appeared within the premises, and not long after, the entire structure began to tremble. 

There was little reason not to make haste to the scene. But by the time he and Dante made it down there, someone was already dead. 

Two demonic snakes that could swallow grown men whole were present at the scene. Sera had one thrashing demon pinned to the ground with one sword, and was struggling against another that had its fangs lodged into her left arm. Her right arm was already bloody and mangled. 

Paces away, an injured knight was clutching a dead body. Their sword was missing. Sera clearly took it to pin down one of the demons. 

Dante didn’t waste a single moment and rushed in, drawing Ombre (the Order couldn’t say anything to Dante’s want of his firearms) and shot the snake at Sera’s foot, while brandishing Rebellion to slice at the demon upon her arm. 

The snake reared its head immediately upon Dante’s attack, untangling itself from Sera. Vergil had teleported to her to catch her, and the state of her being wasn’t great. Venom was certainly involved.

While Dante was wrestling with the snake that he was attacking, the one that he had shot was still alive. It broke free of the sword pinning it down and tried to turn its fangs on Vergil. 

It was met with the cold steel of the Yamato. 

Someone else might not have been able to tell, but Vergil was angry. 

He was angry for multiple reasons. At how, without him realizing it, he had a friend whom, if he lost her, it would feel just as painful as if he lost his brother, or even his mother. Angry that he hadn’t seen this possibility sooner, and that he didn’t do more to keep her safe. Angry also, that someone would be so foolish as to mess with a Devil Arm and end up unleashing something so dangerous. 

He was also angry that he didn’t have an immediate solution that would help Sera, beyond killing said demons. 

The one dead demonic snake disintegrated into smoke that curled about Sera’s damaged right arm. What did this mean? Vergil didn’t have a clue. 

But his mother might. 

“I’m leaving you to finish things off here, Dante.” Vergil said curtly as he stood up, focusing on a thread of power within the Yamato that he had been practicing for a long time, but hadn’t done on such a large scale before.

“Wait, where are you going?” Dante yelled as he finally chopped off the head of the other snake. The demon turned to smoke and curled about Sera’s left hand, now. 

He didn’t feel like he had much time to spare. With anxiety running high, he cut through the fabric of space, and simply told Dante: “I’m taking her to mother. You figure out what to do with those imbeciles.” He meant the injured knight and the dead body. Ignoring Dante’s further questioning, Vergil picked up Sera, and left through the portal he created. 

* * *

For the next five days, Dante visited the infirmary daily. Sometimes it was with Vergil. Sometimes, Vergil had already left before him, and Dante would arrive to see his brother sitting at the bedside, hands steepled under his chin, expression cold. 

Vergil would give Dante an update, which always amounted to: She’s still not awake. They gave her another transfusion. 

Dante knew that Vergil was upset. And he was upset right alongside him. Of all the demons that fall through, of all the incidents that did happen or could happen, this was something that occurred purely due to human stupidity. 

Today, he and Vergil went towards the infirmary together. And before they even turned to enter the hall, they could already hear their mother and General Leo talking with the doctor.

“This blood loss isn’t normal. She isn’t suffering from internal bleeding, despite those pieces of metal. More than that, the metal pieces are growing. Lady Eva, are you certain that condition is from the Devil Arm?”

“Certain of it, but there is little more I can do on the matter. Records on Devil Arms aren’t encyclopedic.”

Leo’s voice sounded concerned: “Will she pull through? Is she going to be okay?”

The doctor responded: “From a medical standpoint, she’s losing blood faster than any human body should be able to keep up, regardless of where that blood is going. We’ve given her more transfusions than a person should be needing. With all due respect, she should be dead from this condition. We can’t indefinitely give her transfusions like this…”

“But…”

Leo sounded somewhat frightened; Sera wasn’t just one of his knights, but she had been his ward until she recently turned 18. Even if he were no longer her warden, she was still family to him. 

And then Eva spoke: “It’s the Devil Arm. Though a Devil Arm is a weapon, it still is a devil. They aren’t weapons that just anyone could pick up and use.” She paused, and then continued: “One must survive encountering it. I believe the Devil Arm is what’s taking her blood.”

“Is there _anything_ we can do?” 

“Well, I gave her a lookover of my own earlier. The Devil Arm, though growing, has begun to take the shape of weapon platings. As the doctor had found previously, the metal had been eating her arms, and that’s not an incorrect description. Her bones have been replaced up to her shoulders, but this is a sign that the weapon is forming properly.”

“But, Milady…” The doctor started, “What does this _mean_?”

“It means that the Devil Arm may accept her, should she survive. It’s already modifying her body. And at the moment, her survival appears to hinge on blood. Have you noticed, also, that her other wounds have healed?”

“Most of her wounds were on her arms. I supposed one could call ‘covered and penetrated by metal’ a form of being healed…”

And then General Leo sighed. “Devil Arm or not, she still has a life to live.”

“And she will.” Eva soothed. “I believe, if we’re able to procure enough blood for her, she will pull through.”

But the doctor had to ask the pragmatic question: “Suppose she does survive this. Will this mean she will need blood continuously? For the rest of her life?”

“We wouldn’t know until we try…” Eva responded softly, though even she knew that there was no feasible way for Sera to live off of blood transfusions all her life. 

But having heard all of this from the other side of the hall, Vergil walked towards them, with Dante following. 

“Is there any requirement as to where this blood comes from?” Vergil asked. 

At a situation where everyone felt like there was little left to lose, Vergil suggested something that would be far fetched by human standards. However, when devils are involved… there was a lot that could still be possible. 

The Ophidian Duet was doing more than just taking over Sera’s arms. 

It gave her fangs, also. 

Whatever logic there was to how “blood drinking” works, no science was going to explain that. But both Vergil and Dante gave her a generous amount of blood. 

Two days later, she finally woke up. The Ophidian Duet had finally taken the shape of something more akin to gauntlets. The blood loss was also slowing. 

Overall good signs. 

Leo had been concerned, at one point, on whether or not Sera was going to be okay after this incident. He expressed as much to Dante while the two of them were waiting out by the door to Sera’s room. 

Dante glanced through the doorway, watching as Eva and Vergil explained to Sera what had happened, and what having that particular Devil Arm might mean for her in the future. 

“She’s going to be fine. In fact, I’d say she’s coming out of this stronger.” Dante responded with a grin. 

* * *

As it turns out, the Supreme General’s final solution regarding Vergil and Dante’s place among the Holy Knights was pretty much… Let them handle things their own way. 

The twins couldn’t work with just anyone else. Part of it was a lack of an ability to be a team player… especially on Vergil’s end. The other part was that the twins were simply too strong by human standards. Other people couldn’t keep up, and it wasn’t just due to their physical prowess and sword skills. 

Their devil’s blood also afforded them devil powers. They could reach heights that others couldn’t, traverse to places faster than anyone else, and can single-handedly cut through a hoard. 

And by the end of everything, could the Order of the Sword truly demand that the Sons of Sparda hold themselves back among their human comrades? 

That is, truthfully, not possible, and not conducive to their growth. 

And they weren’t the only ones who performed beyond human expectations. After Sera completed her rehabilitation, it appears that her new weapons ironically gave her the ability to more easily scale buildings and go over obstacles. Leo wondered if maybe her regular training with the boys was part of what made her so strong… Now that they were all grown adults, no one in the Order could truly match the twins, even in a basic wrestling match. 

So, the trio were given their own roles, and a time sheet: A specific amount of hours to clock in per week, at least four days a week. Because demon activity is most prominent at night, the twins alternated shifts for night until sunrise. Whichever twin was not on night shift, alternated between late-morning or late-afternoon shifts with Sera, and a few hours of their shifts always overlapped, so two of them would patrol together at those times. 

Inevitably, since this was something special, it granted them the status of Officers. 

Pretty soon, the three of them became common sights about the city. Depending on who was paired up, certain eateries or cafes were sure to expect them during their breaks. And the status of Dante and Vergil’s identities was now a worst-kept-secret. Everyone knew to never ask, but everyone knew now, by the proof of the twins carrying the Yamato and the Rebellion, plus their extraordinary abilities, that they were Sparda’s kin. 

They could have all the power over the entire city, but instead they were content to live their lives by becoming part of the city itself. Visits to the library, to restaurants, to the parks… interacting with the city people, keeping them safe… 

Most of the city adored them. And with that adoration, a lot of the talking about Sera behind her back had died down. Even Sir Valkyrie had to keep his mouth shut. The family that had refused to help Sera now had to eat their words in more ways than one. Not only did Sera become an outstanding knight, but her obvious friendship with Dante (and Vergil, though she appeared to hang out with the former more than the later,) was something to be envied by many. 

Though some people had whispered favoritism from Leo, there was never any real basis of it. Sera was simply outstanding and unique, and even without the connection to the Supreme General, it was clear she had Vergil and Dante at her back when things went bad.

Sir Valkyrie will never be able to claim Sera as a pride and joy of his family. 

(Leo subtly hinted to the old knight that he ought to think about retiring, too.)

* * *

At age 19, Seraphina Valkyrie was becoming the talk of the city in a different way than she was before. 

Female Holy Knights were pretty rare. And knights of her caliber were rarer still. 

With that kind of ability, it made her, to her chagrin, some sort of object of desire for some of the men in the city. 

And after testing the waters with a few suitors that saw her as a prize to be claimed, one day, Sera complained. It was during a break (and before Vergil even started his shift,) where the three of them were having lunch. Pizza. Because Dante got to choose what was for lunch today. 

“I think, I don’t ever want to see a dethorned rose again.”

“Don’t flower shops only sell them dethorned?” Dante asked. 

“I suppose. I’m not the one who buys them.” Sera sighed.

“For what reason are you upset about dethorned roses? You don’t sound like you’re upset over just the rose.” Vergil asked. To anyone else, he may have sounded impassive. But the three of them knew each other well, and Sera never took for Vergil’s questions to be devoid of concern, even if that concern was slight. 

Leaning back, Sera tilted her chair a bit. A bad habit she may have picked up from Dante. “I don’t want to make this conversation too awkward, so let’s just say… I ended up kicking someone out of my apartment last night. This is the third time someone has gotten so… concerned, over the fact that these…” She pointedly gestured at her right arm with her left hand, “Are permanent. Like they’re afraid I’m going to hurt them or something. They either get all nervous, or they act like they need to, I don’t know… declaw me somehow.”

She had used the word “declaw” so pointedly. Indeed, the Ophidian Duet had effectively “eaten” her arms. Her bones up to the shoulders, including the clavicle and scapula bones, were now all metal. “Declawing” her might as well be amputation. 

Vergil’s amusement came through in his usual tone of distaste: “Foolishness.”

“Sounds like some people don’t know how to appreciate things.” Dante huffed. “Sorry they looked at you that way, Angel. But what does this have to do with roses?”

Sera leaned back forward to let the chair settle back on all fours again, and let out a long sigh. “Ever heard of the phrase ‘every rose has its thorn’? Well, these are my thorns. And if anyone tries to give me a dethorned rose again, I’m throwing it back into their face and leaving.”

“Aptly fitting. Though a rose compliments every beautiful woman, you are worth more than just the flower itself.” Vergil said that as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and went back to eating his food. 

Dante blinked, and then said in realization: “Oh! Hey, Verge, we should show her that thing!”

“What thing?”

“You know! This!” And with practiced ease, using his devil powers, Dante magically formed a red rose in his hand. 

“Ah. Yes, you have been very pleased at that little trick as of late.” Vergil acted as if he didn’t care, but with his own sort of flair, he procured a blue rose. 

Sera was pretty impressed. “Oh, wow!”

Vergil didn’t respond to her immediately, and instead he reached forward, holding the stem of the rose out towards her, and then said: “A simple trick. And with thorns, just as you would like.”

“Here, you can have this one, too!” Dante offered. 

She gingerly took the roses from each of them, though the platings of her gauntlets shifted to protect her fingers, making it easy for her to take the flowers. “Awe, that’s so sweet of you two. You’re both the best.”

“You may want to consider not bothering with those men who think of you as some sort of trophy.” Vergil said simply. 

Sera laughed. “Why do you think I’ve kicked them all out of my life? That was the third guy in the past five months, and I’m tired of all that dating effort only for it to be a letdown.”

Dante then added with some finality and a grin: “Well, it wasn’t like you really spent that much time with them. We get to see you more than they did.”

* * *

A few weeks later, Dante decided to visit Sera’s apartment. He knew she would be home soon, while Vergil had the overnight shift that day. 

Something was on Dante’s mind. He paused at Sera’s door. Since he was off shift, he had changed into his favorite red coat. His mom, however, forbade him from ever leaving the castle with only the coat and pants on, so he also had a black shirt on underneath. 

Ever since they started to work together as knights, the three of them spent a lot of time together. Between Dante and Sera, the two spent a lot of their off time or their breaks out and about the city. 

But on days where Vegil and Sera had time that overlapped, Vergil preferred quieter settings. Sera had once told Dante that, sometimes, she just got a bit tired of everything and just wanted to be comfortably at home, with a book to read or a pen to write with, with warm tea and a blanket. And likewise, Vergil sometimes complained that Dante interrupted his reading so much. At first, Vergil decided to spend a day or two a week at the library, and Dante respected his brother’s need for space. 

And then one day, Sera must have offered her living room couch as sanctuary, so Vergil started to spend time reading there, instead. Sometimes, on their off days, Vergil would spend time at Sera’s apartment for a few hours, and then later Dante would show up with a few grocery items that Sera had requested, and the three of them would have dinner together. (And occasionally, they invited Sera to the castle for dinner. Eva was often happy to see her.)

Today, after Sera welcomed Dante into her apartment, Dante remained at her door after she closed it. 

She saw that something was on his mind. “What’s up?”

“Um, well…” He thought about how he was going to say this. 

See, he might be a carefree sort of guy, but he wasn’t an unobservant person. Not when something catches his interest. And when he sees his best friend and his brother every single day, he notices things. 

“So, I know this is going to sound awkward coming from me…”

He paused, and Sera waited. She was about to tell him to spit it out, before he finally just went for the shot: “I think my brother likes you.”

Sera blinked. She then crossed her arms, and tilted her head quizzically at him. “You came here to tell me that… Vergil likes me?”

“Yep.” He popped the ‘P’, unsure of how to proceed with this awkward conversation. 

“Wait, hold on. I’m not misunderstanding here, am I? When you say ‘like’ you mean… the kind that people say when they want to date?”

“Yeah. That kind.” He nodded.

“So… before I even ask what makes you think that… Why am I hearing this from you? More than that, I feel like if we were to have any sort of conversation about dating…” She tried to formulate her words as she made gestures in the air, “Wouldn’t this be some kind of conversation about, say, maybe you and me? Not your brother and… wait, don’t tell me--”

“Wait! No! Let me stop you there!” Dante panicked, and then tried to explain: “So, it’s not that I don’t like you, but uh… how do I put it… Well, you know how Vergil is. He kind of likes to keep his distance a little too much. But I can tell that he likes you. You know, a lot of those small things he does for you? He doesn’t do that for anyone else. Nevermind the fact that he doesn't even like to interact with anyone else. And he talks about you quite a bit,”

“Slow down. Dante, let’s not have this conversation at my door. I’m trying to understand what you’re telling me, but, let’s sit down first.”

So the two of them made it to her living room couch, and as she sat down, Sera picked up from where they left off: “So, Vergil talks about me at home…?”

“Yeah. Not plainly. It’s more like, sometimes when things come up, he might bring you up as some sort of comparison? So, like, you know that penpal I have? Kassy?”

“The one whose family sent me get-well gifts when you wrote to her about my condition?” She nodded. “Yes.”

“Kassy’s a different sort of girl, and when I show Verge some of the photos she sends, to talk to him about what she’s written back to me, there are times where he’d bring you up. Kind of like… well, it’s pretty obvious to me, but I think there’s a lot about you he likes more than anyone else that gets brought up. It’s not just when I talk about Kassy. And he likes to spend time with you. Sometimes, he’ll tell me a bit about your writing, or even about whatever book you two seem to be sharing. He just… volunteers this information? And some of the things he says to you when we’re all together, it’s not anything he’d say to just anyone else. So, yes, Sera. I think Vergil likes you.”

“Okay.” Sera worked to absorb this information, and then asked slowly: “And so, what do you think about that?”

“Uh. I think… that you should know?”

That answer didn’t seem to satisfy her. “Let me try asking it this way: What about you?”

He scratched the back of his head. “What about me? You’re my best friend. And Verge is my brother. I like to see him happy. And I think you make him happy? Or do you… oh.” He thought about it for a moment. “You… it’s okay if you don’t like him back. I know this stuff doesn’t always just work out. But you… is it because of me? Do you...” He didn’t want to say it. For all the times he liked to make a competition with Vergil about who stood out in what aspects, this was one thing he wasn’t sure he wanted to compete on. 

“Oh, Dante…” Sera sighed. “I’m just trying to handle this situation delicately. I’ll be frank… you’re both amazing. And you’re both amazingly different people.” As she said that, she smiled. “Different and wonderful and wholly unfair to be such amazing friends and people. Makes it hard for a girl to get things sorted out between the two of you.” Her tone was a little teasing. “I’m not upset at hearing this. I’m… flattered. More than flattered. I spend a lot of time with Vergil, too. I know he’s more than that stubborn and icy exterior he shows to most other people. He’s actually very sweet. Like you, but in a different way. But you know… I wasn’t sure what would happen if I dared to imagine anything more. Felt like it could jeopardize our friendship as a trio. And I’d rather not lose that…” She admitted. 

“So, you’re worried about how I would react?”

“That, or the other way around. I didn’t want to know what kind of negative reaction I might get out of such developments.” She explained nervously.

“Okay. Well, listen.” He smiled back at her. “You’re my best friend. You’ll still be my best friend even if you date my brother or reject him. Just, you know, keep his friendship intact, if possible?”

“Well, that’s not the hard part, I don’t think. I just want to be absolutely certain, but you don’t… you’re not going to be disappointed either way? Or, if things don’t work out between me and you brother, what would you do, then?”

Dante was beginning to see what her view of the conundrum was. He shrugged. “I’m not saying you’re not a worthy partner. But I really do think Verge likes you. If the two of you don’t work out, all I can say is, only time will tell what happens after. Me? How do I put it…? I’m satisfied with what we have, now. I’m satisfied with you being my best friend. Does that make sense?”

Finally, Sera smiled at that answer. “So you’re not just stepping aside for your brother, right?”

“Nope! Vergil is usually the sort that takes what he wants, so it’s a bit cute to see him pine so obviously but not do anything about it. I didn’t want to ask him about it yet. You know how it is… if I pry too much then I’m asking to be a pincushion for summoned swords.” He laughed. “I’m serious, Sera. And I don’t just think you’re good for him. But I also think, considering your short dating history, Vergil isn’t like those guys, you know? He sees you for what you are. And honestly, he probably wouldn’t care about you if you _weren’t_ stronger than any other woman out there. You kick ass. But he probably knows next to nothing about how to start a relationship. I could probably try to give him a push?”

At that, Sera shook her head. “No. No need. I think I can find a moment to work something out. It could be… nice. You’re right. He wouldn’t care that I have these…” She stared down at her hand, flexing it. “When I first woke up with these, he did tell me that I had found my own kind of power. He cares about that kind of stuff. And he also doesn’t overly try to coddle me. Neither of you do.” She then smiled, and glanced back up to Dante. “Did you know that sometimes, he’ll read my writings out loud, like he does when he reads from a published book? I’m always flattered when he does that.”

No, Dante didn’t know that. But he wasn’t surprised. “It almost sounds like you two are in a relationship already.” He teased. “So, gonna make it official, then?”

“Does it? Well, that sounds… right. It does sound kind of right, doesn’t it? But if that’s the case, I almost feel like it’s not something I’d care for the rest of the public to know. So, maybe just between us, then? I’ll ask him about it.”

“Nothing wrong with wanting privacy, Angel. I can respect that.” 

Well, the conversation started awkward at first, but now Dante felt like everything went perfectly. This was great. He was happy that it wasn’t complicated at all. 

He had once thought about what it would be like to date Sera. But he’s seen how they acted around each other. Sera interacted with Vergil a little differently than she did with himself. It wasn’t exactly one of those things that said if she liked one brother more than the other. 

But Dante liked seeing how they complimented each other. 

Maybe he was a sappy romantic kind of guy. But there was nothing wrong with wanting to see your brother and your best friend get together happily, right?

[ ](https://rubixa-seraph.tumblr.com/post/614621225571041280/whoa-i-did-fanart-doesnt-happen-too-often)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- [Fanart done by yours truly! I’m not the best at fanart but this piece of artwork is what made me want to write this fic! I hope it’s okay-looking haha. If you click on the image it should take you to the tumblr post with full resolution.]  
> \- Not yet having the full power of the seat of Vicar, Sanctus “dost not yet have” the ability to fully research into Eva’s background, and gravely misunderstood the simple truth of how she came to be in “Sparda’s Grace”. To him, it was unfathomable that it was something as simple as love.   
> \- Nurture can do Vergil a lot of good. He is still naturally someone who looks down on people and is hard to impress, but throughout the years, Eva's influence guides Vergil away from the blind pursuit of power. (And that's only one of the things she managed to properly nurture in the boys.)  
> \- Could I explain how “thinking with portals” work with the Yamato? Uh… I have a system. It’s a very loose system. Portals will… work when they can work.  
> \- Work shifts in Fortuna will not make you feel like you want to die. Because fuck that shit. People get to live fulfilling lives on Fortuna, cult or no cult!  
> \- I felt like since the Order is the “government” of Fortuna, it meant there is a lot of leeway in its hierarchy. After all, in DMC4, if Credo could just allow Nero to work the way he did, alone as if he were a special agent, then the same could hold true here.   
> \- I am really looking forward to writing the next chapter. It’s going to be a fun one!


	6. Third Sign is the Charm...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A devil can love like a human.
> 
> But a devil is not a human.
> 
> Still, is a half-devil excused from forgetting certain human societal conventions, when it comes to love?

"Aunty Sera!"

Not quite six year old Credo ran across the living room to barrel into Seraphina's leg. The child had seen her and the rest of his family's guests from the window, and barely gave his father time to open the door for them. 

"Credo!" Sera immediately picked him up, and asked: "Aren't you all bright and energetic this morning? Have you been excited about your new baby sister?"

"She's so tiny." Credo whispered. "I am! But she's too small to play with yet. That's what mommy said. Will you and Dante and Vergil play with me today?"

When the kid first understood that "Sera" was her name, and that "aunty" was like how mommy was "mommy" and daddy was "daddy," he also learned that with "aunties" there were "uncles."

If Sera had once felt too young to be an aunty, then for the twins, who were about two and a half years younger than her, each had their own reaction of displeasure at being referred to as "uncle." Vergil pretty much froze as his brain tried to process a reaction, wholy uncertain if he wanted that to be called that indefinitely. Dante had laughed, almost said "holy shit" in front of the kid, and told him: "Nah. No. Please don't. Maybe big bro? You can call me big bro!"

But Vergil wouldn't have any of that, either. Besides, for Credo, he had enough trouble with the names "Dante" and "Vergil" to start. By the time the kid figured it out, the twins were content to just be called by name. 

On the current topic of "play," Dante ruffled Credo's hair. "Maybe later? You know your dad's rules. Swords stay by the door when we're inside the house." He then grabbed Rebellion from his back and set it on the weapons rack, beside the Yamato that Vergil had quietly set down already. The weapons rack was there so casually, as if it were an umbrella stand. 

Since Sera’s Devil Arm couldn’t leave her, she wore a white long sleeved jacket today to cover them up. Her uniform was a vest instead of a full coat, because otherwise she’d just damage the sleeves. 

Truth be told, Vergil and Dante rarely visited General Leo's home. They came with this time, not because they really wanted to see the few-weeks-old Kyrie, but because their mother was going, and asked them to come with. 

Sera was invited separately; it appeared Miss Nova was still insistent on keeping Sera as part of the family. As if naming Sera as Credo's godmother wasn't enough, she wanted to do the same in regards to Kyrie. 

"But... Shouldn't someone else deserve that? I can't..." Sera had stumbled over her words when Leo had told her about it. "Maybe Lady Eva? She'd be a wonderful godmother, wouldn't she?"

She would be. Perhaps she should have been named Credo's godmother, and Sera be Kyrie's. But at the time, Nova was more focused on emphasizing to Sera how much she meant to the family. And she still is. 

Eventually, Credo reached over from within Sera's arms to try and tap Eva on the shoulder. “Wanna come see Kyrie?” 

As if Eva wasn’t about to be led to the nursery by Leo already. She smiled and looked over to the Supreme General: “Of course. Why don’t you show us your new little one?”

Behind them, Dante scratched the back of his head. “We’ll, uh, stay back here for now. Room won’t fit all of us anyway, right?”

Credo then squirmed out of Sera’s arms, forcing her to let him down before he hopped to the ground himself. “This way!” He tugged at his aunty’s arm. 

Nova was already in the nursery with Kyrie, and once again, Sera found herself being handed a fragile little bundle to be acquainted with. Thankfully, this time, she had practice from when she was around Credo, and she held Kyrie with more confidence than before. 

She then looked up at Leo, and asked with a grin: “She’s precious. Are you sure you want someone like me to be her role model? I’m nothing like a proper lady.”

“But you are a proper knight. And you are a wonderful person. You don’t have to be anything different for her.” Nova encouraged. 

"Besides, you're family." Leo reminded her. "I'm not big into the whole godparents thing, so if you weren't here, this wouldn't be a thing. We want to name you as their godmother because it's our way of saying you're family."

At age 20, Sera was a lot less flustered than when she was 15. She beamed this time, instead of being uncertain: "Thank you, Leo, Nova. I see all of you as family, too."

During this entire exchange, Eva eventually watched little Credo run out of the room. He was determined for everyone to see his new baby sister, and eventually dragged (Dante and Vergil knew better than to say no to the kid) the two young adults to the door of the nursery. 

"Want to come inside? I can leave the room to make space." Eva whispered. Her boys were nervous at the prospect of being close to something so fragile. Well, Dante was clearly nervous, lingering shyly at the door. Vergil tried to feign disinterest behind his twin... but Eva would describe it like he's hiding behind Dante. Her eldest was, as much as he would never admit, not as difficult to read as one would think.

Dante shook his head, while Vergil remained silent. Each were answers in their own way. Eva smiled and held back her laughter. 

She's familiar with even a mighty devil being uncertain around infants. 

As hilarious as it was, it had also made Spencer very human to her. 

Sera's conversation with Leo and Nova continued, as the lady knight praised Kyrie's features to the child's parents. Credo had climbed into his mother’s lap to join in on the conversation. 

Eva leaned against the wall by the doorframe, taking the scene in. And then she heard Vergil comment softly: “Infants are so fragile and tiny. It’s hard to imagine something so little becoming a person that would walk on their own two feet someday.” Without the Yamato in hand to fiddle with, he seemed to be fiddling with the clasps on the sleeves of his blue coat instead.

Dante sheepishly ran his thumb over his nose, not quite sure what to do as he fidgeted by the door. “Yeah, well, weren’t we babies at one point, too?”

“Of course.” Eva responded, and decided to tease them a little: “And you’ll always be my baby boys. You two were so small back then. A little smaller than Kyrie.”

“We were?” Dante was surprised. 

“It’s a common thing with twins. But look at you two now. Taller than me, and strong knights and protectors. I couldn’t be more proud of you both.”

Vergil always took compliments from her gracefully, with a smile and a slight nod. Dante’s grin was bright but bashful; more expressive as he shuffled from one foot to the other, hands at his hips. 

For good measure, Eva then added softly: “I’m sure your father would be proud of you, too.”

* * *

For roughly the next two months, Sera visited Leo and Nova’s place about once a week, getting acquainted with the new addition to the family, and even indulging in Credo’s demands to play-fight. Through those two months, the twins went with her only once. When Credo gave them a scrutinizing look and very seriously demanded they play sword-fights with him, too, Dante stifled a laugh, and Vergil told the kid with probably more seriousness than he needed: “You can challenge us after you’ve won against your Aunty Sera.”

Sera put on an exaggerated act, eyes wide and tone indignant: “Vergil! Setting such expectations will only mean he’s going to try even harder, now! I won’t be able to hold back the monster you have unleashed!”

“Well, if he truly aspires for a position among the Holy Knights, and perhaps to follow in the General’s footsteps, then we shouldn’t expect anything less of his goal, no?”

Dante laughed even harder. “Verge. Kid’s not even six yet. Bit early to be putting such lofty goals in his head.”

Lofty or not, life continued. The island as a whole still experienced demon attacks, sometimes every few days, and then sometimes there’s peace for a good two weeks or more. The summer heat meant more trips out for ice-cream, and even a trip to the beach. (Living on an island, however, meant beaches weren’t a novelty. But still, who could say no to a dip in cool waters and a good gathering?)

And then, in mid-July, an unofficial sparring and training session was being held at HQ. 

For some knights, it was for evaluation. And then some, to show off. It was usually an eye-opener for recruits who make it in to take a gander…

And in the recent year, everyone wanted to see Vergil and Dante have a showdown. 

Well, what the other knights imagined a showdown would be, is honestly a lot more controlled than what the twins could actually do. But they were in a public place. Excessive injury or letting loose too much wasn’t something they would want to do in public. 

However, while most of the onlookers crowded the edges of the sparring stage that the twins were at, there was still a decent amount of audience at the other stage in the room. 

Sera was in a mock-battle with another knight. While Vergil and Dante were each showing off the Yamato and Rebellion, Sera didn’t have an opponent that could withstand her Ophidian Duet. As such, she and her opponent were using practice swords. 

And she was determined to win this one, for her opponent was someone a little “close to home.”

Had Sir Valkyrie not disowned her, her opponent would be someone she could call her cousin. This knight, as a person, was not a bad person. She didn’t begrudge him for not reaching out or interacting with her. But dear ‘ol _Sir Valkyrie_ was watching from the sidelines. So she was going to give it her all. 

And so she did, and her opponent yielded. 

The match itself was otherwise just another match. She had proven herself a capable combatant in the past four years, and she had Vergil and Dante to thank for that. As she stepped down from the stage, quite a few people were willing to tell her she did great.

Until she walked past the old knight who looked like his face was permanently soured. 

“So even a branch that has been pruned off will stubbornly try to grow roots.” 

In the past four years, it’s been no secret that Sir Valkyrie was not happy about Seraphina Valkyrie making the cut to becoming a member of the Holy Knights. Unhappier still, that in a scant four years, she made it to the status of Officer; word has it that it’s all thanks to “that little freak accident” that gave her a Devil Arm. 

He did not want to give in to the idea that she was worth something. He did not want to admit that he was wrong. 

“Well, new trees will only grow by either spreading their seeds, or by _branching off_.” Sera responded cooly. 

“A pale imitation is all that would come from such a product.” The old knight spoke from under his breath. A few of the other knights that were nearby were becoming nervous. Sir Valkyrie was an old veteren in the knightly service, and the Valkyrie family as a whole had always been part of the Order’s Holy Knights. There was a certain amount of delicacy revolving around the politics of old families in the Order. 

But there were a few who did not care for the delicacy of such politics. 

“A pale imitation of what?” Dante cut through the crowd, with Vergil right behind him. 

Even the old knight seemed to show anxiety over this pending interaction. “It’s nothing of importance. Not for her.” 

He turned to leave, but Dante called out: “Oh no it’s not. I can smell back-handed words, and I have better ears than you think. So you think you can call my best friend a ‘discarded branch’ and insult her like that? Hasn’t anyone taught you that if you can’t say nice things, then you shouldn't speak up?”

Sera understood that Dante hated mean-spirited bullying. Vergil hated it even more. And between the two of them, the brothers can get pretty riled up about it. But they also had their own flair when it came to dealing with problems, and more often than not, the half-devils resorted to physical means. (Moral high ground among devils did not mean playing pacifist. One must learn when to pick battles, what kind of battles to pick, and win them.)

“Dante.” She placated. “Not worth it.” She then grinned. “They aren’t even worth imitating.”

“Heh. Still.” He pointed at the old knight. “Stop harassing her and let it go. You abandoned her. You don’t have the right to judge her. She has her own family, and it’s better than yours.”

The temperature in the room felt like it had dropped. Many of the knights were fearful that something terrible was about to happen from all of this. 

And then Vergil added a layer of frost before shattering the stillness: “Seraphina will flower, whereas you are a brittle remnant. That beauty is your loss. Take your loss with whatever little dignity you have left, and stop holding on to guilt and jealousy.” 

Before the old knight could say anything, however, Sera’s previous opponent pushed through the crowd, and elbowed his elder, and hissed lowly “Give it a rest, gramps. You’re going to make enemies the family doesn’t want to have.” 

Sera decided to interrupt before things got worse. She spared the old knight one last glance, and then completely changed the subject by asking Vergil and Dante: “So, your match. Who won that round?”

"I did." Accepting the change in topic, Vergil responded to her. "That makes the score even now."

"Don't worry, I'll bring it up by one again next time." Dante shot the old knight one last warning glare (while the old man was being pulled away) before tuning into the conversation they were moving to. 

"Well, is the winner up for another round? Or shall we rain check that for later?" Sera asked. 

Vergil thought about it, and decided: "Why don't we show everyone here what you can do with your Ophidian Duet, instead of just your skill with the practice sword?" He then clicked the Yamato out of her sheath with his thumb, and then re-sheathed her with another click. "Devil Arm against Devil Arm?"

This was something that Sera was interested in. "You would use the Yamato today?"

"At this point it would be an insult to keep using practice swords against you."

"Yes, but I haven't been able to actually get you to draw that blade even once." Sera muttered. 

But then Dante interrupted: "Don't take too long. We've been here since early morning, and I'm hungry for lunch. Might leave without you guys..."

* * *

It's been more than a year since she's had the Ophidian Duet. She hadn't been very happy about it at first; the constant dull ache and the month-long rehabilitation was excruciating. She would never wish for this kind of incident on anyone. 

But she took what life gave her. Ever since the friends and family around her pulled her to her feet the first time, she's taken the disposition to move forward no matter what. 

The Ophidian Duet was outwardly visible at all times. When not in combat, she still had metal that protected her knuckles, platings on the back of her hands, and the back of her wrists. More prominently, however, were the segmented blades that wound up her forearms, like snakes. 

She had noted the metal color was white like that of the white scales of the snake demons. The brass trimming was a nice look with it.It matched the color of her uniform, which was nice since she couldn’t wear anything with long sleeves while on shift. 

As Vergil and Sera made their way to an empty sparring stage, people were already getting curious. Dante and Vergil rarely sparred against others, and even when they did, it was only with practice swords, or completely without weapons at all. 

Likewise, Sera did not use her Devil Arm against her fellow knights, either. And ever since she had been separated from her squad and placed on special patrol with the twins, rarely did people get to see the Ophidian Duet in action. 

“So, the usual rules, then?” Sera asked as she stretched. 

Vergil didn’t respond verbally. Instead, he simply shifted his stance to something more battle-ready. However, that stance did not include him readying to draw his sword. He simply held Yamato to his side, at the ready, but still sheathed. 

So Sera simply took her ready stance as well, right hand behind her back, and in her left hand… at her command, the segmented blades that wound up her arm unraveled, and with its innate demonic power, reformed into a rapier in her left hand. 

“I’ll be determined to make you unsheath your sword today.” She stated, and didn’t need further indicators that she could start. 

Sera’s style was all about fleet footwork and well-timed strikes, but against Vergil in this particular game of theirs, it was about her putting in the best offense. In the past year, her challenge was to force him to actually draw the Yamato. 

Her first set of strikes were, as she expected, dodged. And without breaking pace, she side-stepped in order to change her angle of attack, and held out her right arm to form her other rapier.

Though her dual-wielding was impressive, that of course wouldn’t be enough to really pressure Vergil. A few times, he parried with the sheathed Yamato instead of dodging, and then he did a low sweep with the weapon, aiming to knock her off of her feat. 

Sera’s gymnastics training from when she was younger always came in handy when she needed to reposition. With an easy flip back, she got out of the way, and then extended her right arm forward. 

The rapier changed, blade segmenting again to become a bladed whip. The first lash, Vergil dodged it again. At the second one, he caught it by allowing it to wind about his sword, and with a strong tug, sent her stumbling forward. 

The audience certainly found this match to be peculiar. When Vergil and Dante fought, it was an exciting match of hard clashes and taunts. 

But Vergil and Sera’s match was looking more like a dance. After she unwound her bladed whip from his grasp, the entire session was almost like an interesting performance. Sera’s background in gymnastics clearly wasn’t lost; the way she manipulated the bladed whips was akin to that of a ribbon dance, but at every right opportunity, she would strike swiftly like a cobra. 

Some of the audience wasn’t sure what was more impressive; that Sera had such graceful mastery over her weapons, or that Vergil still hadn’t taken a single hit. And for every step he took to avoid being hit, Sera would follow to keep up. 

There were no taunts, but there were also no breaks. Like a dance with an increasing tempo, where Vergil led Sera about the stage. Eventually, from the audience, Dante yawned, and then whined: “Broooooooo. I’m hungry.”

“I thought you were going to leave without us if we took too long.” Vergil responded plainly, attention still on the sparring match. 

“It’s about to be too long, yeah! But we said this morning we’d have lunch together. You want me to choose where we eat again? Surprise! It’s going to be pizza!”

Sera made an indignant sound in between an attack. “Dante, we just had pizza for lunch yesterday between shifts. Seriously?”

“Seriously.” He grinned. 

Of course, Vergil was not impressed. “I loathe to think what you would do if you were to ever live alone, brother.”

“Well,” Sera breathed out, and took a different stance, “I don’t want pizza again. So I guess there’s only one thing to do here.” 

Her next movement was quick, but new: she lashed out both blades in whip-form, slashing them through the air horizontally in front of her. A clear shattering sound rang through the room, startling many in the audience. The segments had flown out towards Vergil, but he dodged them with no problem. 

The segments of the blades paused only briefly in the air surrounding the area about them. But with a flick of Sera’s wrists, she made a motion opposite to when she swung her weapons out. 

The bladed segments aimed themselves towards Vergil. 

From all directions, he had a few choices regarding how to get out of this predicament. Teleportation would be the best option, but for this particular game, his handicap was more than just not fighting back. Summoned swords were also out of question. 

Oh, he was getting out of this, but he had to also be impressed. This was something new that Sera had developed. She was learning how to use her weapon, fast. 

Some of the audience gasped. 

It happened in an instant. 

He unsheathed the Yamato, and with swift strikes, he deflected all of the blades back towards her. Being a weapon that was physically part of her body, all she had to do then was to raise her arms, and “caught” every single segment that went back in its place, re-forming the coiled blades about her forearms. 

And Vergil, in his usual motion of finale, brought his blade back to her sheath, vertically in front of him, and sheathed the blade with the usual pause before the final click. 

Dante whistled amid the audience’s combined cheering and excited commentary. “Well! Whaddya know! You managed to wrap up in time.”

Sera stuck her tongue out at him. “What? No compliments on the fact that I _actually_ won the challenge?”

He laughed. “You should be hearing it from the guy who issued the challenge. Come on! Food?”

Trying to wrest himself free of the other knight’s compliments over the performance, Vergil made his way towards Dante. “Food. Since you’ve been complaining about starving for a while now.”

Sera took a moment to thank a few people who told her she was amazing, and ran to catch up to them. “I won, so I get to choose where we eat!”

* * *

Lunch was, of course, decidedly not pizza. 

Sera decided on sandwich and soup. Right after they all sat down with their food, she said: "About earlier, with my... not-grandfather. Thanks. It really wasn't that bad of a situation, but I'm flattered by your compliments."

"It is but the truth." Vergil stated. "His hostility was unnecessary. And frankly, cowardly."

"What was the saying?" Dante spoke barely after swallowing a bite of his food. "Calling grapes sour when they're outside of your reach?"

Both Vergil and Sera gave him a look.

"It's some sort of saying? Kassy complained about some stuff a couple of letters ago and used the phrase. Basically a person deciding to dislike something because they can't have it."

Sera sighed. "That does sound like what he's doing, doesn't it?" After a few moments of each of them continuing with lunch, she then asked: "Speaking of Kassy, how is she?"

“Not bad. Sometimes she complains that we don’t have a phone in the castle. I guess she can afford that long distance calling. Well, I got a letter just this morning, actually, so maybe I should say ‘could be better,’ now that I think about it…” Dante finished off his sandwich and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Dante, there are napkins.” Vergil reminded him with a dry tone. 

He just shrugged and continued: “Need some help. I’m not sure how to respond to Kassy’s latest letter.”

Curious, Sera asked: “What’s wrong?”

“So, apparently her family took in a witch recently. You know, the kind like our mom? Contracts and stuff, and if she fulfills her side of the contract, then she gets the power she wants from Kassy’s family.”

“Lance is the devil of Kassy’s family. That would mean it was his decision, then, correct?” Vergil noted. 

“Yeah. Well, I guess Kassy’s a bit unhappy about it. She doesn’t trust the new girl. And I don’t know what to respond to her with.”

Finishing her soup, Sera thought about it. “Huh. I mean… I guess it would be hard to trust a stranger. But I sense there’s more to her displeasure than just that.”

“What do I say to a girl who’s a little upset over the idea that a witch moves into her home and starts flirting with her older brothers?”

Sera had taken an inopportune moment to try and drink water, and almost spluttered it everywhere. Thankfully, she didn’t choke. Vergil handed her a napkin so she could clean up while she laughed, and she said:

“I don’t know, Dante. I don’t really know your Kassy very well, but I might tell her she needs to leave it alone and go find herself a boyfriend.”

“Okay, I’m dense but not that dense. I’m _sure_ telling her to get a boyfriend would go over well. The next letter she sends back might set my desk on fire.”

Vergil didn’t actually laugh, but his response might as well be his way of showing humor: “Well, you better keep a fire extinguisher in your room from now on.”

“I’m not writing that to her!”

“How about…” Vergil then thought about it, taping his finger against the Yamato. “Little sisters don’t need to meddle in the lives of older brothers?”

Dante narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying that _little brothers_ also shouldn’t meddle? Are you _sure_ you would have liked that?”

Sera was laughing harder now. “Hey! Let’s not be flipping tables here! But really, Dante, the best you can do is tell her that… new things happen in life all the time. Adjusting is the best option. Her brothers are about my age, right?” She was turning 21 in a few months. “We’re all adults. She should trust in that.”

He leaned back in his chair. The only thing keeping him from placing his feet on the table were the proper manners he would use in public, instilled by Eva and enforced by Vergil. “Alright. Guess that would be the best option. Maybe I should get to writing that response when I get home. We got any other plans for the rest of our day off?”

Shrugging, Sera responded: “After all of that excitement this morning? I want warm tea and a good book, in the comfort of my home.”

“I may accompany you to your apartment, then.” Vergil decided. 

Dante could only nod, understanding the subtle hint that they wanted “them” time. “Sure. I think I’ll go stop by the offices and see what mom’s up to. Ask if she needs anything. See you at home?”

* * *

Gossip among lovestruck young girls may have crowned Vergil as the “King of Thorns,” but those brambles were often left at the door when he could be alone with Sera. 

Tea and books in her living room was one of their enjoyments together. And Sera didn’t bother changing out of her uniform; the downside to her not being able to wear long sleeves while on shift was that she would get cold at times. The upside, for her, was that the twins would lend her their coat whenever she needed it. 

So while Vergil perused his book on the sofa, Sera had his Order uniform coat on, enjoying a cup of honeyed tea as she leaned into him, his arm circled about her shoulders. 

Closeness didn’t come easy at first. He had never liked being touched. Sera knew that from when they were younger, so she always queried with subtle gestures, asking for permission, first. Over time, he got used to it. Allowed it more often. 

He admired her tenacity, and appreciated her softness. He did not like weakness, but he recognized that gentleness was not weakness. This, he learnt from his mother. 

Vergil had often asked himself: what exactly is love?

Eva had smiled radiantly at him when he had asked as a child, and told him: “It’s the feeling that tells you that someone is worth it. That you wouldn’t want to give them up. That you would do everything you could to keep them safe and happy.

“It’s also the feeling that you would be in pain if you lost them.”

There was no question in his mind that love was worth the pain. Because his mother had given him all the proof in life that love was important. 

That without love, there wouldn’t be Vergil and Dante. 

That without love, they might not have survived. 

That without love, there would not be a today. 

But he still asked himself, even today: what is love?

Books and words had many ways of describing it, but which one described love for him?

He thought about a lot of things, when he thought about Seraphina Valkyrie. 

How she was daring. How she was a little brash. How when they first met, she had been taller than him and Dante, but now they were taller than her, reaching near 190cm [6’3”] and overtaking her by almost 10cm [4”]. How she experienced loss of family and abandonment, but still held strong. 

His mother’s words did ring true. 

Vergil would loathe to lose Sera. 

Even if he didn’t like being affectionate in front of others, he thinks he’s making up for that by being close to her in private. 

Sera finished her tea, reached forward to set the cup down, and when she settled back into her spot against him, pulled the sleeves of his coat up her arms a little, to try and keep her hands out. “I can’t believe how tall you got. I still remember when we first met. But I guess, as kids, the age gap made a significant difference.”

She then pulled his coat closer to her body, and after a bit of thoughtful silence, she asked: “Does it bother you, that I’m older than you?”

Vergil knit his brow together as he tried to understand her question. “It’s only about two and a half years. Why?”

“Nothing, really. I used to overhear my peers talk a lot. Some people are bothered by things like that, I guess.”

Vergil thought about it. There was something on the tip of his tongue. Something he wanted to say. Sera patrolled with them long enough to have heard the few occasions of a devil rampaging at one or both of the twins, spouting promises of ending the lives of the “Sons of Sparda.”

She never commented on it, nor asked about it. 

Additionally, Sera hardly bought into the inane parts of the Order’s scriptures. 

She had once told him and Dante: “I’m pretty sure The Saviour would be happier if we worked hard to defend ourselves as a society. Why else would he instill the Order with a faith built on swords?”

Sera only valued the pragmatic parts of her faith. 

So he bookmarked his place, and responded softly: “Well, that’s hardly a concern for me. There’s a couple millenia’s worth of an age gap between my mother and my father.”

He waited for her response. Strange, was that his heart rate that was speeding up?

She shifted a little, leaning into him a little more, and he instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulders properly. “Did he have a name?” She asked. 

At first, Vergil wondered if perhaps she somehow did not suspect or even heard the signs of the truth. But then he realized she wasn’t asking for a confirmation to something she already knew. 

“Mother called him Spencer. He was always ‘father’ to us, and beloved to our mother.”

Sera chuckled. “Wow. See, this is stuff that’s more interesting than church things. But now I get to have these gems to myself.” She giggled. 

“Is it the intrigue, then, that you enjoy getting from me?” He asked, meaning to tease. 

But she started to give him a very honest answer: “No. Intrigue ends when answers are given. It was never the intrigue. It was…” She smiled, and nestled her head into the crook of his neck. "It's... more like the connection we've built over time. And you never judge me for being different from most other girls my age. You don't hate it when I like a good fight, either."

She was so close, and he almost missed the words she said as his mind was filled with thoughts on how nice she smelled.

He tried to process those words, and finally asked something that was on his mind recently: "Dante doesn't judge you, either. And he was the one that handed you a practice sword."

"And then when you first let me practice against you, you didn't hold back." Sera chuckled. "Dante is Dante. And you're you. Besides, you and I have much more in common."

Vergil hummed lightly in agreement. 

"Is something wrong?" She asked, noticing how closely he was holding her, and seemed to breath her scent in.

"You smell nice." He stated simply. He couldn't describe what it was, he was simply drawn to it.

"I do? I'd imagine I smell like I need a shower, after everything today."

"A little bit of sweat isn't a bad thing."

Sera didn't seem to mind after hearing that, and even brought her arm up to rest her hand on his shoulder. 

The embrace felt fitting. Felt right. Like the warm comforts of home, even though he had a home already. But now it felt like he had more.

And then, Sera said:

"An arrow that flies true will pierce deep,  
But a precise blade can rend with control.  
Love may start with a resounding strike,  
And the rest is carved by a loving sword."

He always appreciated her little works, however grand or simple. Something about it being from her, instead of just words on a page from authors he'll never meet, made everything more... intimate. 

"What was that resounding strike, for you, then?" He asked.

"Hard to say. I guess... it was the first time I saw you cut down a demon with the Yamato. But for a long while, I think it was just admiration."

"What changed?" He was already beginning to idly run his fingers through her hair. 

"You were at my bedside when I woke up in the hospital. The first person I saw. But I didn't think that..."

She trailed off. 

"What was on your mind?" He wanted to know. 

"I didn't think I would really be worthy, I suppose. Didn't think you liked me like that. But now, I want to do everything I can to be worthy of being by your side. And..." 

Shifting, Sera moved out of his embrace, and climbed fully onto the couch. Boldly, she climbed over to straddle his lap, her expression gentle and bright as she faced him: "You appreciate my fangs and claws. You find worth in sharpened weapons. You don't try to devalue the things about me that I take pride in."

"You wouldn't be you anymore, without those." He answered without thinking. The words just came out. From this angle, with her looming just a little above him, he could see that her canines were also beginning to drop into fangs. "You are a lioness. Not a house cat."

This made her giggle pleasantly. She settled down a little so that she could get closer. "I feel compelled to ask something selfish."

Vergil didn't move, and didn't ask her what it was. He waited for her to continue as he fought with a foreign warmth that was flowing through his veins. 

“I want to bite you.” She whispered. Her pupils were wide, her attention not wavering. 

She hasn’t needed blood since she recovered from receiving the Ophidian Duet. She never asked for any, since, either. 

And sharing blood, for devils, was not something to take lightly. 

There is power in blood. Power in taking it. And power in giving it. 

But Vergil didn’t want to deny her. The prevalent thought in his mind right now was that he would want to give her everything. 

“I can give you what you want.” And he pulled her closer. 

He wasn’t exactly sure what he had intended to do when he pulled her closer, but a kiss? A kiss was good. 

She tasted like fire. 

* * *

Dante spent the rest of his day mulling about, and all things considered, it was pretty nice. 

He went to the in-city office to see what his mom was up to, and told her about how the morning went, while excitedly telling her how Sera managed to win that challenge Vergil had put her up to. 

Eventually, he even chatted with Eva a little about his conundrum with Kassy's letter.

Eva had laughed, and gave him an answer that wasn't too different from the one Sera had given. She then teased him: "What about you? Did you know that you and your brother are the objects of interest of many young people out there?"

"Mom!" Dante immediately reddened. 

"Are there any girls that catch your interest? Or any... any specific girl you harbor a crush on?"

"Mooooom! N-no! Nothing like that!"

Eva looked thoughtful for a moment, and asked with the same teasing smile on her face: "Any guys?"

"Noooooo. I... I'll know when I know, okay?" He stammered. It was a little pathetic, he felt, with how much his face was burning. 

His mother simply chuckled and reached up to fix some of his bangs in his face. "I'm sure you'll find yourself a lovely partner someday." She seemed like she had a knowing look in her eyes, but Dante was too flustered to read into it. 

He spent some more time with some of the other knights; more like three of them tried to take him up on a wrestling match in the training room. He had a good time with that, and when evening came around, he and Eva went home. 

Vergil still wasn't back yet, which wasn't really a problem. There were a few days here and there where he and/or Dante would spend a whole day out in the city. He could be trusted to figure out dinner for himself.

In the past few years, as the twins have gotten older, Eva monitored them less and less. Now, she didn't ask Lenore to check up on them anymore. Not specifically, at least. 

After dinner, Dante spent a few agonizing hours writing and re-writing his letter to Kassy. By the time he ended up with something satisfactory, he felt so mentally worn out, that a full night's sleep sounded like a good idea. 

It wasn't until the next morning, when he woke up, did he realize that he still didn't feel his twin's presence in the bedroom next door. 

Did his brother not come home at all last night?

* * *

In the morning, Vergil found himself waking up a lot later than he usually did. 

As a half-devil, he did not need as much sleep as the average human. He also wasn’t one who cared to sleep in much. 

Despite that, he couldn’t find himself feeling upset over it this morning. 

Because right beside him, comfortably under the blankets with him, was Sera. 

When he reached out to touch her, she slowly opened her eyes, glanced over at him, smiled, and shifted to roll towards him and snuggle in closer. “Mmm… Good morning.”

“Good morning, my lioness.”

Sera blushed. “Day’s just started and you’re already being so sweet.”

“Hmm.” Vergil gently ran his hand up her shoulder, towards the nape of her neck. There was a somewhat faded mark there; he had drawn blood. Perhaps he shouldn’t have reciprocated her biting last night. He would heal almost immediately. She could still scar, though it appeared that his blood healed the wound over already.

“And upon her neck,   
From his eyes of flame,   
Ruby tears there came;”

He said softly. Sera laughed, and she recognized what he had just said. So she followed up, with a teasing tone:

“While the lioness  
Loosed her slender dress,  
And naked they conveyed  
To caves the sleeping maid.”

She’s both read and listened to enough recitations to recognize “The Little Girl Lost” from Vergil’s beloved William Blake collection. 

But then she also touched the mark on her neck, and said: “We… might have gone a little overboard last night.”

Vergil did not show “flustered” as an emotion. But he certainly _felt_ it. There were several little problems with what had happened the day before. “Apologies. We seem to have gotten lost yesterday…” He tried to recall the day before, tried to figure out what this was going to mean. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“I feel fine. Good, actually. But I think if we’re going to have repeats, we need to be...more careful.”

He nodded, but still asked: “And about last night…?”

“What’s done is done. You know I love you, right?”

Those words, hearing them from her, they meant so much. 

“Of course.”

“Always.”

“Always?” The word came out softly on his breath.

“Yes.”

“I… adore you, too.”

She smiled. And then she told him: “I’ll take care of a few things so we’ll be more prepared next time. I’m sorry I wasn’t prepared before. But… just for future reference, if you would rather do the preparing: I’m allergic to latex. But first, I think we both need a shower. You’re not going to tell me I still smell nice after all of that last night, are you?”

Instead of answering, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, deliberately taking in her scent, before answering: “Smelling like each other isn’t a bad thing.”

She squirmed and laughed. “Okay. But I don’t want my best friend noticing. Just because he’s your brother and he knows we’re together, doesn’t mean I want to hear a peep from him about this.”

* * *

Late September, it was Sera's 21st birthday. Like every year since she turned 16, she celebrated it at Leo and Nova's place, with Vergil and Dante invited. Eva had shown up for her 16th and 18th birthdays, and she arrived this time for her 21st.

Baby Kyrie seemed fascinated by all the excitement. For all the little girl knew, everything was just for her. Sera spent a good amount of time entertaining (and being entertained by) the little lady. Eventually, after Dante spent a good fifteen minutes making the babe laugh and giggle, Kyrie was tuckered out and fell asleep in Sera's lap. 

Nova graciously took her daughter into her arms to take the girl to her crib. "Now let's focus on the birthday girl." She smiled. 

"Aunty Sera!" Credo immediately climbed into her lap after Kyrie was moved. "How old are you now?"

“I’m 21 now.” She told him. 

“Woah!” The child then started to count on his fingers. The adults patiently waited for him to figure it out. “You’re 16 years older than me!”

Technically, it was about 15 years and one month. Credo turns 6 in October. But the concept of doing math with the calendar is probably beyond him at the moment. He was next excited to see what kind of gifts Sera was going to get. Even if the gifts weren’t for him, he liked the general energy that came about birthdays.

Leo and Nova gave Sera a new set of supplies for weapons cleaning. Though a Devil Arm required less maintenance, her standard sword-cleaning materials were still running low. With the Ophidian Duet being a part of her body, they took care to choose things that weren’t harmful to her body. Weapon cleaning was now also a matter of hygiene for her. 

Eva gave her something a little more demonic in nature, but still practical. It was a pendant in the shape of the Order of the Sword’s emblem, but spelled to ward her from anything toxic in the air. Such a charm was not an easy creation, and Eva went out of her way to make something like that because she was worried about how often Seraphina was in danger, just from running the same kinds of patrols as her sons. She wasn’t physically as resilient as them, and eliminating that bit of weakness was the best gift she could create in a charm. 

Vergil, for the past six years, had only ever given Sera books. And that wasn’t going to change. 

As for Dante… the drinking age in Fortuna was actually 18. But 21 was one of those years where “you’re even more an adult now!” So he put his pay towards the best bottle of imported tequila he could find. (It wasn’t like he paid bills of any sort. He lived in a castle. His paycheck was just extra spending money.)

Nova always made a lovely dinner and her best dessert of tiramisu. Overall, it was a good time, but towards the end of the day, Nova noticed: “Are you feeling okay, Sera? You haven’t eaten as much. Or, at least, you have never left any leftover tiramisu on your plate before.”

“Oh, I’m… I’m sorry. It’s my birthday and all but I didn’t have too much of an appetite today.” She was somewhat abashed. “Your food was good! And I always love your tiramisu! I’m just not in top form today.”

“Oh, honey, what’s wrong?” Being the good nurse she is, Nova touched Sera’s forehead. “Do you need anything?”

She shook her head. “Rest, I think. I’m not feeling too terrible? I just feel like if I eat too much right now, I’ll regret it.”

“You okay?” Dante asked. “You aren’t sick, are you? But hey, it’s your birthday! If you need some rest instead, you’re entitled to it!”

* * *

Early October, Leo took a trip up to Fortuna Castle. 

At the doors, he greeted the Lady of the Castle: “Good morning Lady Eva.”

“Oh, Leo. If you didn’t send an emergency notice for something, then this is just a friendly visit, right? No need to call me ‘Lady Eva.’ Come inside.”

After a decade of working together, Leo would say that he trusted Eva wholeheartedly, as a witch, as a healer, and as a friend. She’s helped him in matters from demonic, to saving the lives of his subordinates, to advice when he and Nova became first time parents. 

But today, he was a little nervous about the topic he was bringing to her door. 

He knew today that the twins planned on clocking in shifts, and he knew they had already stopped by the offices. And he thought that, despite being out of the way, it was better that he have this conversation with Eva at the castle, instead of at the offices where someone might overhear. 

But he went through pleasantries first, and allowed her to be a gracious host that led him to a guest room, before he sat down and asked: “Eva, I have something to ask. A, confirmation, if you will. Because I’m not sure if I’m imagining it, or if I’m only picking things up from biased conversations floating past my ears. But Dante spends a lot of time with Seraphina, doesn’t he?”

Eva thought about it, and answered: “Well, yes. They have always spent a lot of time together. Even more, now, with how they decided on their shifts and their off time. Why?”

And that “why” was the crux of the entire situation. 

“Nova has been needling Sera a little, ever since she seemed under the weather during her birthday. There was a bit of an argument over it, but some things can’t stay hidden anymore. Nova is a nurse, after all. Sera would be a little hard pressed to hide her health conditions from my wife.”

Concerned, Eva immediately asked: “Did something happen? Is the Devil Arm causing her problems?”

“Perhaps less severe than that. Or more, depending on how one may view the situation.” 

While Leo tried to decide the best way to broach the subject, Eva mused: “You make it sound so ominous. She’s been trying to hide her health condition? Dante hasn’t said anything about it, so she must have been hiding it well. He’s very vocal about how well his friends are doing, you know.”

“Yes, about that…” He thought about asking one thing, but immediately decided it was better to not jump the gun. Instead, he said: “Sera was pretty testy about it. So I worry for her reasoning on hiding it. Nova couldn’t get any more details out of her, beyond what she could use for a diagnosis.”

“Well, don’t just beat around the bush, Leo. What’s wrong with her?” Eva asked gingerly. 

“Sera’s pregnant. As far as Nova can tell, she’s just past a full first trimester. It’s beyond the point of ignoring.”

He almost held his breath as he waited for Eva’s reaction. She was an acute lady. She understood why Leo came to her, and her dawning shock was not pleasant to see: “You asked about Dante. You don’t think…”

Immediately, Leo held up placating hands. “I’m not jumping to conclusions. But he _is_ known to be her closest friend. Ask anyone in the city and they will tell you that they see Dante and Sera hang out about the city a lot. So I’m just wanting to confirm with you, first, if you might know anything?”

He gave her time to think. He did not like the complex set of emotions that were flitting through her gaze. This was not the kind of news that came easy, especially with so much uncertainty. Or perhaps, it would be even worse with certainty?

“I don’t know, Leo. Dante is close to her, yes. I want to say that I am certain he would have said something if they were… together. In fact, just the other month, when I teased him about dating, he was all embarrassed over the topic.” She looked anxious. “But these kinds of things are delicate. Maybe he didn’t want to say, for some reason? Truth be told, I did think that he probably liked her a lot, which was why I teased him in the first place. Vaguely, that is. And now? I don’t know.”

Leo nodded. “Right. And really, we are only working down a thread of possibilities. I’ve come to ask you only because Sera would not tell Nova anything. And, well, she’s entitled to her privacy, but I’m more afraid that something unsavory happened to her.”

Eva’s eyes widened. “You think someone took advantage of her, and she’s ashamed to even tell her friends?”

Leo nodded. “A child out of wedlock would put her in a very bad social spotlight. Word gets around here, in this community. If she were raped, we _need_ to bring justice, or she will have to live with an even greater social backlash. But, if it were consensual… Well, that’s a different story entirely, but I hope it’s someone who would be _good_ to her. If she ends up having this child before marrying, I don’t believe anyone else’s influence could protect her from the darker face of societal prejudice.”

“Of course…” She said, almost breathlessly. “I’ll ask Dante, if he’s noticed anything. I don’t think this is going to be an easy conversation. If something did happen to her.” She took in a deep breath, “You better hope my boys don’t kill the offender before you get him to court.”

* * *

It’s been a long time since Dante had gotten a message from Lenore saying that his mother would like for him to go home after his shift. It was pretty late in the night, and Vergil was picking up the overnight one today. Usually by this point, Eva would be getting ready to turn in for the night. 

He didn’t change out of his uniform, and went straight to her study. “Hey mom! You needed me?”

“Oh! Sweetie, you’re back already.” She seemed a little startled from behind her desk, and anxious, too. Dante could smell it. Emotions were not easy to pick up on, but there was definitely a hint of it. 

This got him worried. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He carefully sat down in the chair across the desk. If she weren’t so nervous, he would have thought he was in trouble for something. 

“Dante, you spend a lot of time around Sera. Has she been okay recently?”

He felt like he was thrown for a loop at first, but then thought about it, and responded: “So, you’ve noticed something’s off, too, huh?”

His mother simply nodded in a way that indicated: yes, continue.

“I don’t know, she seems to be tired a lot recently. Sometimes she doesn’t eat as well, either. There’s a few things here and there that she would eat part way and then stop. Thought she was just under the weather for a bit, which, you know… normal for a human being, right?” He laughed nervously. “But, um, yeah. She’s been a little dodgy with me, lately, too.”

“So, she didn’t tell you what’s wrong?”

“Beyond the symptoms I could already see? No. She’s, uh...” Dante didn’t pry too much when she didn’t want to tell him something. As far as he was concerned, if she needed care, she had someone else whom she could rely on. Recently, Vergil also came home less. He had talked to his brother once, and only once, about Sera’s health. Vergil did seem a little concerned, but even he said that Sera didn’t make a big deal out of it. But he did state that he’d keep an eye on her and see if anything gets worse. “I don’t really pry.”

Dante did find it a little worrisome that his mother was now asking about Sera’s health. So he asked: “Why? Do you know what’s wrong? Is it something bad?”

Eva seemed to be deep in thought, as she lightly tapped a finger against her desk. Finally she asked back: “You are certain that she hasn’t said anything? She didn’t seem like she had any sort of incident, or run-in with something bad?”

Every question was making Dante anxious, now, and he stood up and asked. “No. None. Zip and zilch. Mom, just tell me what’s wrong! Did she get hurt by something? I didn’t smell anything demon or devil on her recently, but that doesn't always mean nothing happened!” That was partially a lie. In terms of devils, lately he could smell a lot of _Vergil_ on her, and vice versa, but that was to be expected, right?

“Dante.” She tried to placate him with a gesture to sit back down. “Dante, calm down. On some levels, that’s what I’m trying to figure out right now. Leo came by this morning. Nova found out what’s wrong, but now we have a lot of questions on our hands.”

“Okay…” Still not answering his question…

“Nova said that Sera’s pregnant.” Eva said as calmly and as evenly as possible. 

“She’s…” He tried to repeat what he heard, but the words died at the tip of his tongue as his brain actually processed the words. “What? She’s what? Sera’s pregnant? As in, she’s going to have a baby?”

“That is what pregnant means, Sweetie.” Eva responded tentatively. 

“She’s… wait, hold on. I’m confused. I’m very, very, confused. Why are you telling me this? Why isn’t she telling me this?”

Eva raised an eyebrow. “Why _isn’t_ she telling you this…?”

Suddenly, something clicked. 

“Oh. Oh no. Oh hell no!” His brain was in full panic mode now, and he leapt out of the chair to pace in front of her desk. “This can’t be real. What the… _Holy fuck._ ”

The look on Eva’s face was slowly turning into a sort of “Ah, I see now” and for once, she didn’t chastise him for cussing. 

“Wait, no! Don’t… whatever it is you’re thinking, that’s not it!” He quickly pleaded. “Holy FUCK this is bad! No, maybe it’s not bad? Wait, no it’s bad! It’s definitely bad! Because if it weren’t bad then I would have heard about it already!”

“Dante.” Eva finally stood up from behind her desk and walked up to her pacing son. She gently set her hands on his shoulders, and asked: “Maybe I’m not understanding this situation any better than you are, but you seem to know something. What’s going on? Why is it that you would have known if this… weren’t bad?”

Oh boy. Oh no. 

_Well, Verge. Sera. Sorry, but privacy only goes so far._

“Mom, the reason why this is bad, is because if Sera didn’t tell me, and if Verge didn’t say anything, then that means _Sera didn’t tell Vergil._ ”

The confusion on his mother’s face said it all. So he explained:

“Mom… I know. The entire city usually sees me and Sera hang out. Yep. Dante and Sera are best friends. And we are! But I think you’re forgetting that Vergil spends a lot of time with her, too. They just don’t hang out in the same public places that I do with her. In fact, they like to have privacy at her apartment instead.”

Eva’s confusion was slowly morphing into wide-eyed shock. 

Dante really hoped she wasn’t going to pass out. “Mom? Are you okay?”

“You’re not done yet. Tell me what you haven’t told me yet.” She prompted. 

It was time to just shatter the window in a single decisive blow. Dante also said something he never thought he’d say: “ _Saviour help me._ Vergil might try to kill me but I think he’s got more important things to worry about now. You know how he is… he likes privacy. And Sera respects him. A lot. Enough to be willing to keep an entire relationship private, save for me knowing. I _honestly_ thought it was just so they can figure things out before being more public about it.” He swallowed the nervousness in his throat, gauged his mother’s reaction, and continued: “I didn’t think too much about it, but I can say this for certain: unless she got assaulted by someone who could mask their scent even from _Vergil’s_ nose, then she hasn’t been touched by anyone else. And her scent has been all over him lately. And his, on her.”

Her hands were still on his shoulders. There was a slight increase in the pressure of her grip. He reflexively brought his hands up to below her elbows, worried that she’d become unsteady from this shock. 

She hasn’t said anything yet, though the way her gaze darted down and about indicated that she was trying to think. 

He couldn’t help but ask: “Mom? Mom, you… you’re not going to be mad at Vergil, are you?” Over the course of their childhood, the twins had certainly gotten into their fair share of trouble that required discipline. But this? “I mean, fuck, I know this is bad…” He whispered. “But, that’s my brother. And my best friend. I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t want them to be…” Upset? There was something about the kind of feeling one gets when they are in trouble. 

Guilt. 

It was a terrible feeling. And over something like this? 

Dante was fairly certain guilt was not a good feeling to associate with an impending child. It almost felt _cruel_. 

And Eva seemed to understand what he was asking. Finally, she lessened her grip on his shoulders, and slid her hands down his arms to finally rest her hands in his. “Tell me, Dante, does your brother love her?”

“I have no doubt of that.” He said resolutely. On this, he would trust his gut. Vergil can be a prick but they weren’t brothers of 18 years and going without some kind of connection going. 

“And Sera? Does she love him?”

“Mom, they’re together because I gave them the push for it. If I didn’t think I could trust my best friend with my only brother, or the other way around, then I wouldn’t have suggested it to them. She loves him, mom.”

Finally, Eva smiled, though a little forlorn. It melted away a lot of Dante’s worries, but he couldn’t deny that, yes, there was a bit of _shame_ in this whole thing. 

“I think I can see what happened here. The good news is, this actually isn’t the worst case scenario. Leo was worried that she was taken advantage of. At least that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

He nodded. But then something else came to mind: “But… why hasn’t she said anything to Vergil?”

At that Eva could only sigh. “Well, Sweetie, I’d wager it’s because she’s afraid of how he’s going to react. So, tomorrow, I’ll talk to him and see what he already knows. We’ll go from there.”

Now, he felt like it was his turn to reassure his mother. So he fell into an easy smile, and said: “Then everything is going to be alright. He’s reasonable, and we’ve all got each other.” But after saying that, he took in a deep breath, and said: “Holy shit… a baby. I’m floored. I’m going to be an uncle?”

Eva made an unimpressed noise. “That’s hardly something to feel surreal over. Try my perspective, Sweetie: my babies only just turned 18 and I’m about to be a _grandmother_.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Alternate Chapter Title: Vergil Is Not Always as Smart as He Thinks He Is, and Neither is Seraphina  
> \- I thought hard about how Credo as a child would react to having a sister, and decided that he wouldn’t be disappointed. With a badass “aunty” like Sera, he’s been given an example of “girls can be cool, too.” Besides, no matter what precedent I set, we know in canon that he will value Kyrie.  
> \- I’m going to have to admit, writing is not the best medium to show the tension of battle. But I thought it was only fitting to, well, hint at battle being foreplay. =P  
> \- The only reference I can give to some of the inspiration behind Sera’s weapons and moves, would be my two favorite fighters in Soul Calibur: Raphael Sorel and Ivy Valentine.  
> \- Writing Vergil without an entirely tragic background is like… so odd? While, yes, it seems out of character, but that’s only because this Vergil is living a completely different kind of life. I am still hoping that - I am keeping his nature intact, however, even if I’m adding a lot of human nurturing.  
> \- Why is Sera allergic to latex? Uh… it’s almost-pointless flavor text. Accidents can still happen even with the use of protection.  
> \- Because I wanted a more liveable and pleasant Fortuna, my headcanon is that the cult of the Order of the Sword is more like a closed off society that's a bit naive, and isolates where they can from the world because they are very different (for being a devil-worshipping cult.) They still don't like children out of wedlock, but they don't view same sex marriage as a problem. The former is "irresponsibility", the later doesn't violate that integrity. Chastity is still preferred over promiscuity.  
> \- Dante is a good brother. Dante is an especially good brother for a Vergil who gets to grow up with him.


	7. Something Borrowed and Something Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Though the situation calls for certain disappointment, Eva could not truly be mad at Vergil. Like a good mother, she simply wants her children to be happy, and she will do her best as a mother to make sure they can be happy. 
> 
> So, with the reassurance and advice from his mother, Vergil would face Sera with a more genuine understanding of how much love can mean in their lives. 
> 
> And they will be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Certain sensitive topics were deliberately not brought up in this writing, despite what real-life logical options should entail, because this story is fluff. Please enjoy this chapter!

The sun was beginning to rise, and that was marking the end of Vergil’s shift for the night. It had been mostly quiet. A day of peace. 

And then Lenore flew by, with a message: Come see me when you get home, Sweetheart. 

It was odd to him that his mother would want to see him so early in the morning. But that was hardly a thought that worries him. 

He’ll go there after he takes care of something else before going home. 

He made his way to Sera’s apartment, and slipped inside. (Both he and Dante have had the keys for a while now, though Vergil used his more.) 

He had been a little concerned. 

Overall, nothing about Sera seemed unhealthy. Her scent was a little different, but he was fairly certain he knew what a sickly scent was. 

Her appetite went back and forth for a bit, but lately she seemed to have gotten better. Maybe whatever ailment she has was nothing major, and she was recovering now. She rested a lot, but that should be normal for recovering from sickness, right?

But he knew that she was hiding something. There was often a small pang of anxiety in her scent when he asked her if she were feeling okay. 

And despite some of her symptoms receding, her anxiety was what made him worry. 

If this continued, he felt that he would have to pry. Maybe even ask Nova if she could convince Sera to go to a doctor. Or ask his mother to check if Sera was suffering from something demonic.

She was currently asleep. He had originally wanted to stay a couple of hours by her side, until she woke up. But with Eva asking for him, he knew he couldn’t. 

Setting the Yamato by the bedside, he gingerly climbed into the bed in order to check on her. 

A long time ago, he would remember how, not long after his mother had first moved them into the castle, he would quietly climb out of bed, move across the shared bedroom, and check on Dante. Made sure he was there. Warm. Breathing. 

For a long while, he still had nightmares of when Dante was bleeding and hurt. How after the attack, it took him ten minutes longer to wake up. Those ten minutes were too long, if you asked Vergil. 

And for a few years after, he didn’t kick Dante out as often when the younger would run to his bed after a bad dream. The same dream, of the attack. 

This anxiety, whatever it was, felt similar. But it wasn’t a painful anxiety. Not entirely. 

He just wanted to make sure Sera was okay. 

She briefly woke up when he touched her face. 

“Vergil…” She mumbled, half asleep. 

“I can’t stay today. Mother wishes to see me.”

“Okay.” She whispered, and closed her eyes. 

Reluctantly, he began to withdraw his hand. She then mumbled: “Wait…” and reached out to him languidly. “Just a few minutes?” She pulled at his arm. 

The blankets were in the way, and she fumbled to move them out of the way. She wanted a hug. Though in her waking hours, she was more conscious of personal space, when she was sleepy, she wanted more of his presence.

He didn’t mind anymore. So long as it was just them, he would give her what she wanted. 

So he laid down beside her for a few minutes, and wrapped his arms about her. 

“...love you, Vergil…” She whispered. 

“I love you, too.” He responded softly.

After a while, her breathing evened, indicating she had fallen back asleep. 

He decided it was time to leave, and carefully untangled himself from her, and went to pull the blankets back over her properly. 

She had gained a bit of weight recently. 

He wondered if maybe her anxiety had been over that. He’s overheard many young girls and even older women worry over weight gain or loss. 

He thought to ask her next time. If that was the source of her anxiety, he wondered if reassuring her that she’s fine no matter the changes would solve the problem.

Tucking her in, he picked up the Yamato, went to the living room, and left towards the castle by way of a portal.

When he made his way towards his mother’s office, he paused when he noticed Dante sitting at the door with Nowell. The large black wolf was on his back, like an oversized puppy, receiving belly rubs. 

“You’re still up.” Vergil started. 

“Yeah, couldn’t sleep.”

“Is something the matter? Mother wanted to speak to us both?”

“Something like that. It’s…” Dante trailed off. He was getting dodgy, and Vergil could tell. “We’ve already spoken. It’s nothing terrible? Well, just… go talk to her. It’s important, is all.”

Vergil didn’t know what to make of the odd gaze Dante was giving him. But their mother was waiting. So he set his hand on the door handle. 

Dante suddenly asked: “How’s Sera?”

He paused before opening the door. “She’s fine. Sleeping.”

The smile seemed almost relieving. “Good. Good. Go on.” He indicates at the door. 

* * *

Eva hasn’t really slept all night. 

How could she? There was now another full set of problems in the wake of their discovery. 

Dante had eventually offered to make her tea, and brought her a full steaming pot of it. Her younger son was not much of a tea person but he would make it and even drink some just for her. 

She found herself somewhat livid when her first thought had been: where had she gone wrong?

But, no. She couldn’t think like that. She carefully asked Dante more questions. Even though Vergil and Sera preferred privacy, Dante was observant. He was privy to the small things, in their words and their gestures, sometimes through conversations with them separately, that showed how two of them were very attached. 

Eva learned that whatever they had, it wasn’t some sudden development. It was years of friendship and admiration that built like a slow kindling fire. 

It wasn’t like she would ever disapprove of them. It was a bit of a twist to her, but not a bad one. (Again, she thought it would have been Dante. But she’s glad, actually. Vergil was often hard to approach. So this was good for him.)

She simply was disappointed in whatever circumstances it was that brought about this pregnancy. She _had_ taught them the things they needed to know in regards to sexual maturity, but now she wondered if perhaps she didn’t do enough. 

Maybe this was one of those things where the sons needed their father to guide them in the right direction?

And on that line of thought, Eva realized with a pang disappointment: _Oh, Spencer… Where did you go? Your eldest may have a child of his own soon, and you aren’t here to see your grandchild._

She sent Lenore out to let Vergil know they needed to speak. Before he arrived, she needed to sort out her own thoughts. 

What’s done is done. If Nova‘s diagnosis was accurate, there was roughly five to six months before the babe would come. Five to six months, where if all goes well, there would be a new addition to the family. 

But it wasn’t just that simple. 

Though it was clear that Vergil and Sera liked each other, and probably loved each other, an unplanned baby is not an event that just slides itself in between that love seamlessly. 

Each parent might view the situation differently. 

At this point, not only is it unclear how they would react to the situation, but also unclear how they would proceed from the possibilities. 

If this were anywhere else but Fortuna, there were a few more options. First of all, in many other places, it was nobody else’s business if people have children before marriage. Single parenting was also tough but not entirely vilified. 

But on this island, where the community is more closed off, and everyone knew each other and could influence each other, the best case scenario would be that Vergil and Sera made their relationship official, and everything else was bad. 

It would be especially bad for Sera. 

Eva did not like having to play the “mother knows best” card, but she hoped that she didn’t need to do any hard convincing for them to accept the situation they are in. 

She hoped that such an event wouldn’t break the beauty of what they have. 

And after that, they can figure out everything Sera needed for a new baby. 

Lenore came back. Vergil had apparently stopped by Sera’s apartment. That was a good sign in her books. Whether he knows about the truth of her condition or not, he checked up on her. 

So, in the last half hour, she made a new pot of tea. Dante, feeling as sleepless as she was, paced and tried to distract himself by treating Nowell like a giant puppy dog. The wolf familiar played along, happy for the attention, but he also knew that Eva and Dante were stressed. 

At one point, Dante said: “If Vergil doesn’t react well to this, I’m going to give him a beat down.”

Eva sighed. “Sweetie, not everything should be solved with fighting.”

“Who says I’m fighting him to solve a problem? If he hurts Sera…” He trailed off into a mumble. Eva could see that this was hard on him, too. His brother and his best friend. He would have a hard time figuring out where he stood in all of this. “He’s my twin. But if he's going to be an ass about this, I need to be there for Sera.”

“Dante…” She lightly rubbed his back to soothe his nerves. “I think the stress is beginning to make you think too much about the negative possibilities. Vergil’s... situation, isn’t your responsibility.”

She’s not about to envision the possibility that her eldest would shun his responsibility, unwittingly leaving his loyal and all-too-kind younger brother to pick up the pieces. As their mother, she would not allow that. Sera deserved better. And Dante deserved better.

And Vergil deserved happiness so long as he did the right thing. And after knowing that he still checked up on Sera before arriving, Eva was fairly certain the situation was going to be less tricky. 

She knew how she was going to broach the subjects. In order.

* * *

When Vergil arrived, she poured him a cup of tea. “Was the night okay, sweetheart?” She asked. 

“Good morning, mother. It was quiet. A good night for the city.” He left the Yamato at the door, and accepted the tea. Eva sat down behind her desk as he followed suit at the chair across. “Is everything all right? Dante is acting like he’s in trouble.” 

Eva was a little amused as Vergil’s expression showed slight worry. So she started off gently: “Vergil, how has Sera been?”

Her eldest often took his time when giving an answer to important questions. He would think about not only the answer, but the meaning behind the question. 

“A little better, perhaps. But I’m uncertain. She felt unwell but said she was not sick. Since Dante and I do not experience the same human illnesses, I’m not certain if she’s as well as she claims.” He set the cup back down. “Is something wrong with her?”

There was something in his expression that told Eva of his concern. But as much as she wanted to tell him what it was immediately, she still wanted to tread carefully. This wasn’t just about him and Sera. This was about them as a family. 

“Nothing is wrong, in terms of illness. But something has happened. Nova was finally able to speak to her about it. I eventually heard from Leo, and I needed to know what Dante knew. But it seems he isn’t as close to Sera as I thought.” Vergil’s gaze flickered, and Eva knew that he understood what she meant. 

So she continued, reaching a hand forward towards his: “Sweetheart, you are close to her, right?”

It was one of those rare moments that Vergil would sigh. “You do not need to be indirect, mother. I understand now that Dante must have told you something.” He took in a deep breath, and continued: “We are, yes. I… We didn’t mean to keep it so secret. However… it didn’t feel wrong, either, to enjoy what we had quietly.”

Despite how calmly he said it, Eva could see a light blush. Even for all his cold demeanor, he couldn’t hold back how he felt about Sera. And she could see now that he felt very shy about it.

“Okay. And you know that I will be happy so long as you two are happy, right?” She started off with reassurance. 

The light smile and downcast gaze of slight embarrassment said it all. “I… that’s reassuring. Thank you. I’m sorry I had been distant about it. It had somewhat slipped my mind that there are people who should know… that we are in a relationship.”

Eva approached the topic slowly. “Of course. Now, I think you’ve been together for almost two years? You care about her a lot, do you?”

Vergil took in those words carefully, thought about it, and asked: “What did Miss Nova find out about Sera?” 

Tentatively, she squeezed his hand. “Vergil, I’m going to tell you what Nova found out, but you need to promise me that you’re going to stay calm, and finish this entire conversation with me, okay?”

The way that his expression changed to something of dread really made her heart sink. She knew her vagueness was making the situation seem really bad. But whether it was actually going to be bad, was all going to be up to Vergil and Sera. 

“I will be here. And I will listen to everything you have to say.” He responded tensely. 

She had to get this over with, before someone died of the tension. “Sera’s pregnant, sweetheart. She’s been feeling sick because of her symptoms. Nova says she’s a little over the three month mark now.”

Vergil immediately looked like he was going to bolt, but by his promise, he stopped himself. It did not stop him from pulling his hand away and trying to get out of his chair, however. Still, he forced himself to sit back down, and after a fearful moment of eye contact with his mother, he realized that what she said had to be reality, and could no longer hold eye contact. 

Eva watched as he glanced around, gaze settling on the half a cup of tea. In a bid for a distraction, he reached for the cup. Though his hand did not shake, his demeanor was definitely spooked. 

She waited for him to finish. For him to set the cup down. For him to nervously entwine his hands over her desk as he cast his gaze down, nervously trying to hide his expression, but couldn’t. After a long while, he finally said: “I…” 

She remained patient with him. She knew she couldn’t rush this conversation. And she understood that this was something he needed time to process. 

After a little while, Vergil finally said: “I presume Dante has been told?”

He was avoiding the crux of the situation, for now. But that’s fine. They will circle back, eventually. “Well… sweetheart, I’m not sure if this ever crossed your mind, but the public doesn’t see you with Sera as often as they see her with Dante. So, yes, he was spoken to, first.” She’ll let him fill in the blanks there. 

There was an immediate flash of discontent in his expression. Eva was familiar with Vergil’s tendency to get possessive, and defensive. In usual circumstances, it was something he had been told to curb. But here, she decided it was a good thing. 

He poured himself another cup of tea, and stared down at the cup for a while before drinking from it. Again, she gave him time to think. By the time he finished with that cup, he set it down, and finally said softly, still unable to bring his gaze up to look at Eva: “Sera hasn’t said anything to me about it. Why would she…?”

Eva leaned forward, and took the hand that she could reach into hers. “Vergil, listen carefully. Having a baby is not easy. Not the task itself, or the years that follow. And when someone is told they are going to have to be responsible for a child they are not prepared for, it can be a very scary thing. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Vergil’s entire expression and demeanor stiffened. She had hoped that he would agree on how frightening this situation can be, but asking Vergil to verbally admit that kind of weakness might be too much, when he was already beside himself. 

So she pressed: “And now that you know, I want to know what’s on your mind, before I continue. Because this is both a delicate and a hefty matter. Something like this doesn’t just _happen._ Was it carelessness?”

She knew that accusation would make him bristle. He snatched his hand from hers again, and finally looked up to meet her gaze. But the way he stubbornly glanced away for a moment, mouth set into a thin line, told everything of his answer. 

Vergil never liked admitting to wrongdoing. Even when he did, he was often indignant about it. It was an infuriating thing about him. Vergil had a tendency to do what he wanted, and to get what he wanted. And he would perform his transgression without a care in the world. Eva could only be thankful that, up until now, it had only been small and sometimes petty problems that he caused. She would loath to imagine how Vergil would have turned out if he didn’t grow up with better discipline. 

“Perhaps it was carelessness. But…” He was clearly conflicted over something. He clasped his hands together, tightly, and stared down at them. “I do not know… how to proceed from here.”

“Well, why don’t we start with a simple question, first: Do you love her?” Dante could try to assure her a million times over, but they both knew that they needed to hear it from Vergil himself. 

His eyes widened by a fraction. “Of course.” He answered, almost affronted by the insinuation that he wouldn’t. “Mother, even if it were carelessness, it was not something that happened without… without…” It was rare for Vergil to be at a loss for words. 

Irritated, he exhaled and absentmindedly fixed his hair by running his fingers back through it. “I cannot begin to describe what it is. This anxiety. I have been worried. Perhaps I am relieved that she is not dying, but…”

Eva couldn’t do this from across the desk anymore. She stood up, walked around, and motioned for Vergil to stand up: “Come here, sweetheart. Before anything else, I think you need a hug.”

As he had gotten older, he had asked for them less. But no matter the age, anyone could use a hug when they were having a hard time. Vergil would not deny a hug from his mother. And as she tried to soothe his nerves a little, she whispered: “You know that neither you nor Sera would have to face this situation alone, right?”

Those words alone seemed to melt away some of the tension in his shoulders. 

But this doesn’t change the fact that Vergil was barely an adult, who was not equipped to know what to do in this situation. He asked: “What should I do?”

“Well, first thing is first. You need to talk to her.” She told him as she took half a step back. 

Vergil nods. 

“And you need to figure out _what_ you’re going to say to her.” She emphasized. 

The uncertainty that flitted across his face told her exactly of what she expected. 

“I know it’s hard to put feelings into words, but you have to try. It would hurt her if you don’t.”

“I understand. But… What do I even start with? I feel… upset. I wished she had simply told me. Yet she hid the truth of her condition from me...”

Eva frowned slightly. She understood that he saw this as a lack of trust, and that simply won’t do. “Have the two of you spoken of children, before?”

“No.” It was a very quick and simple answer. 

“Then you must forgive her for being afraid. Remember what I said. This is not going to be an easy ordeal for her. And it will be worse if you aren’t there for her. More than that, you do understand what this means, do you, sweetheart? That you will need to be there for her, and be responsible for the child?”

A tentative nod, this time. “I… there is one thing on my mind, mother.”

“Tell me, sweetheart.” She gently prompted. 

“Even if it didn’t happen this soon, I can’t imagine that it would be anyone else.” He whispered. “Eventually, I think I would have wanted this with her. I simply hope that she would feel the same.”

Eva honestly felt relief flood through her. Everything might just turn out fine, then. “You need to tell her that. And there is one other important thing the two of you will need to discuss.”

“That would be?”

“Marriage. You understand what would happen if she were to have a child out of wedlock, do you?”

Vergil had always found some of society’s little quirks to be troublesome. While he didn’t particularly care too much about what other people thought of him, so long as they left him alone, he never did like bullying. Eva saw from his darkened gaze that he could imagine the kind of mess certain people would try to create over this new event. 

“I’ll figure that out with her. I won’t let others try to give her trouble.” He was thoughtful for a moment, before adding: “It won’t have to be something overly grand, would it?”

“What if she wants a grand wedding?” Eva raised an eyebrow and teased. 

“That would not be hard to provide, but I know she will not want one.”

At that, Eva could only smile. If he could claim to know her that well, then they should be able to work things out. “Remember, you have your family to help. And in her own way, Sera has hers. Leo and Nova will not be leaving her to go into this blind. So, get some rest, and go see her today.”

“I will.” He said, but he did not move, as if he wanted to say something more. Finally, he said softly: “Thank you, mother. I know this incident is… a highly indecent one. But I will make it right.”

“Just make sure to do right by her. And you don’t have to thank me. I’m your mother. I will want the best for you, always. And you would agree that the best thing here would be taking this surprise event properly, and be happy with Sera, right?”

She didn’t really need to hear any further confirmation from him. She knew in her heart that he would want that. But she then remembered one last thing: “Oh, and you need to speak with your brother.”

Vergil knit his brow together, equal parts confused and annoyed. “With Dante? Why?”

“He’s been worried you wouldn’t take this well, and is about ready to jump to his best friend’s defense should you decide on something that would upset her or harm her. This whole thing has put him in a bit of a rough spot. He wanted to see the two of you happy, you know.”

At first, Vergil looked like he had something terse to say, but then he clearly re-thought his words, and said: “I owe him the reassurance that I would not wish harm to Sera.”

* * *

Speaking with Dante after the exhausting conversation with their mother was surprisingly… a soothing affair. 

Though Vergil would admit that he was a little terse when he told Dante that he didn’t need to champion for Sera, Dante could already tell how stressed Vergil was, and just smiled and said: “Alright. Well, let me know if you do need anything. But you look like you could use some rest.”

Vergil couldn’t say that he rested very well. For two hours, he laid in his bed, wondering to himself if things were really going to turn out fine. 

A child. Not even that, yet. 

He thought of Kyrie for comparison. Then he thought of Credo. 

He tried to think far back to when he and Dante were younger. 

The memories of their father felt a little faded, and hard to recall. He’s uncertain how much of it was memory, and how much of it was simply impressions that he refused to let go of. 

Before their father had left, he could remember him as a strong presence. He could remember certain details, like how their father was not the best in the kitchen. Their mother would often only relegate him to preparing the ingredients, but the Dark Knight Sparda (for all his 2000 years in the human world) couldn’t properly figure out how to handle proper cook times, or proper seasoning usage. Then again, now that Vergil thought about it, as a devil, his father probably could eat just about anything, or barely eat at all, and would survive just fine. If food did not have to be of a certain quality for him to survive, then it would make sense that the culinary arts was not a devil’s forte. 

His father’s lack of culinary skills aside, there were two other prominent things he could remember. One was the sword training that he and Dante would always look forward to. The other…

Was the day their father had left. 

Oddly, now that he was older, he could more acutely feel the disappointment that Dante had felt when they were younger. Though Vergil had always admired their father, the truth of how Spencer was no longer in their lives hurt. He wasn’t even certain that he held hope that their father was alive. But he’d never put that thought out in front of his mother. 

He especially could understand now, how much it would hurt her to be reminded of Spencer’s absence. And how much more it would hurt, if she believed him to be gone for good. 

Dante had been angry that their father had left. Even today, Vergil knew that Dante never let go of that grudge, despite accepting that he was still their father’s son. 

And now, Vergil realized with some uncomfortable epiphany, that he wasn’t certain if he knew anything about being a good father. His own had left so early in his life, that he had little to recall as a proper example. 

Suddenly, the desire to be away from _here_ became stronger. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be in the castle that had become his home. 

It was that the desire to be with Sera was suddenly stronger. 

He sat up to look at the clock. 

It will be eight in the morning soon. 

Vergil didn’t think twice before throwing on clean clothes, and grabbing his blue coat and the Yamato to leave the room. But the moment he stepped out, Dante came out of the adjacent bedroom. 

“Going somewhere?” He asked. 

Vergil wanted to tell him it was none of his business. But at this point? He owed his family a lot more courtesy. “I’m going to check on Sera. And talk with her.”

Dante scratched the back of his head nervously. “Okay. Um… well.” Though he was clearly concerned, he didn’t seem to know what to say. 

So Vergil simply reassured his brother: “If we need you, we’ll let you know.” And he left.

* * *

Sera woke up groggily. The sunlight trying to come through her curtains told her that it was mid-morning, and there was a familiar warmth at her back. 

“...I thought Lady Eva needed you… or was that just a dream, and you stayed with me all night?” She asked, somewhat confused. 

Behind her, Vergil responded softly: “She did. I came back.”

Sera tried to turn around to face him, but oddly, he did not let her change position in his embrace. Instead, he held her there, and then she felt his arm at her waist shift. When his fingertips grazed over her hip bone, she stilled. 

His hand was warm, and that warmth from her beloved often brought her comfort. But today, she felt startled. Anxious. A little fearful, as his palm rested flush against her abdomen. 

_She_ knew what was there. She felt an ever so slight pressure from his hand, and wondered if he were seeking for something… She knew that he would feel something a little different. Something a little more firm. Something that she wasn’t wanting to deliberately hide, but also didn’t know how to bring to light. 

She wondered, anxiously, if he knew what that change in her body meant. She hasn’t even figured out the proper way to tell him yet, and here was his hand, warm even through the thin layer of fabric that was her tank top, resting above her womb. 

Sera had been trying to process her shock for the past few weeks still; Nova’s diagnosis only confirmed her belated suspicions. Now, it was even more surreal to think that a developing baby was nestled within her. 

Would it be able to feel that extra warmth from Vergil’s embrace? (Would it know that its father was nearby?)

Does Vergil understand what it was he felt, beneath her skin?

Her heartbeat felt fast and loud, and she knew that it would betray her anxiety. He would pick up on it, and ask her what’s wrong. 

She knew that she had to tell him. She wanted to, and yet she was afraid. They hadn’t ever talked about this kind of stuff… they lived so much in the present, that the future still felt far off. While Vergil wasn’t like other people, he was still a _person_. He could become very adverse to the idea of this child, and she’s afraid of what that would mean for them. 

Yet here he was, at her back, hand over her slightly bloated stomach. Instinct and want betrayed her as she moved her own hand to fold over his. She wanted desperately to ask if he could feel what was beneath his hand, if he knew what was there under it. Wanted, hoped, that he would be able to soothe her own anxieties with his answers. 

“Sera… when were you going to tell me that you are with child?”

She felt a burning blush rush to her cheeks. _He knew? When? How?_

“I… I didn’t really get a confirmation until the day before. I guess Nova spoke to you…?” She stammered as she brought both of her hands up to hide her face, even though he wouldn’t have been able to see her face anyway. 

His hand was still in that same spot. She belatedly also realized that Nova shouldn’t have known to talk to Vergil. Then how…?

“In a roundabout way. I heard from my mother.”

Sera couldn’t hold back a gasp, and squirmed to try and turn around. He instead tucked his other arm under her, not letting her turn around by pressing her back to his chest. 

“I’m sorry! Oh, Vergil, I’m so sorry… was she upset? You shouldn’t have had to hear it from her… I didn’t want to bring you trouble—”

“Shhh… it’s okay. Sera, my mother isn’t upset. Not in the way you think. Please, calm down. I… I wish to talk.”

Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm herself, but she still said, again: “I’m sorry…”

“I’ve never heard you say so many apologies at once like this before. Why are you sorry? No, please don’t be sorry.” He pressed his face to the back of her neck and shoulder area. The contact soothed her nerves a little. “I should be the one apologizing to you instead, for causing this…”

“You didn’t… it was…” She hiccuped. “It wasn’t like I thought it through, either!”

“Then we’re fairly even on that standpoint, aren’t we?”

She didn’t give him an answer. She wasn’t sure what to answer with, when he started to run his thumb in small circles below her navel. 

“Do you…” Sera tried to figure out what she wanted to say. “Are you upset?”

“I don’t believe upset is how I feel.”

“Oh.”

For a long while, he didn’t elaborate. He simply held her close, as if he was afraid of letting her go. After a while, he then said: “Mother said I should tell you how I feel. But it’s difficult. I’m unsure how to put emotions into words. Yet it seems writers do it so easily, with words on a page.”

“Even writers have to take their time to figure out how to describe their emotions.” She responded softly. She knew. There were many times where she had to think long and hard about what it was she wanted to describe with her pen. 

“I have been worried. Anxious, perhaps. About your condition. Anxious still, now that I know why.”

“I didn’t mean to make you worry.” She whispered. 

“I understand. Mother said that this would not be easy. I wish you had told me sooner, so that you didn’t have to suffer alone until now.”

Sera brought her hand back down to his, and said immediately: “But I wasn’t alone. You might not have known, but you were still there for me. Besides, things like this… I did wait a little too long to confirm it. I was… scared.”

“My lioness, scared of a cub?” He was still able to lightly tease her, and it melted her heart. 

“Scared of you leaving me.” She admitted. “Scared of scaring you away.”

His breath was warm against her shoulder. “No. I would not be scared away by this. Sera… I admit that we got careless. But I don’t care about that anymore. I can’t leave you. I don’t want to leave you. This child…” He brushed his thumb over her skin again. “An early happenstance, but I wouldn’t want one with anyone else. Only with you. You are mine. And I belong only to you.”

The flush in her cheeks wouldn’t go away. Rarely would she blush this furiously. She prided herself on being steadfast; a warrior. But now she felt no different from a maiden. 

And Vergil was rarely this generous with his declarations of love. Not in words. Though it was a little possessive, she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“Vergil…” This time, when she tried to move, he finally allowed it. She turned to face him, to finally be able to gaze into his eyes, and see his expression as she spoke to him: “Oh, love…” She buried her face into the shoulder of his vest. “We’re going to have a baby.” 

Saying it out loud seemed to solidify the truth to her, and she felt almost a little light headed, finally being able to tell him. 

“Yes. And I’ll be here with you both. My lioness. My cub.”

She giggled. “My darling white lion.” She added, and reached up to run her fingers through his hair. 

“There is one thing of importance we need to take care of.” He said softly. “On the topic of marriage…”

“Oh, right. I kind of forgot about it, in all this anxiety.”

“I could prepare something, to… do this properly.” He offered. 

“A formal proposal? Oh…” Oddly, Sera felt like she just didn’t care. “I don’t need anything super fancy. Oh, I hope your mother isn’t expecting a grand wedding party. I don’t…”

He soothed her ramblings with a well-timed kiss to her cheek. “Whatever you want, we will go with. If you don’t want anything fancy, we will keep it simple.”

“I can settle with simple. I’d rather have what feels right, over what people think is proper.”

“Then, Seraphina Valkyrie, I would ask you here in the comfort of your own bed. Would you marry me?”

“Yes, Vergil. A thousand times, yes.”

* * *

The Vicar felt a little anxious. Which was more than a bit absurd. Even if he had only been Vicar for barely a few years, he was still an adult with quite a few decades under his belt. One doesn’t make it here without having some manner of achievement, and like many before him, he was once at the very least an exemplary Officer of the Holy Knights. He still wondered why the former Supreme General, Sanctus, declined to vy for the position. But then again, he had always felt a certain bit of unease about Sanctus, back when they were both still in service as knights. 

And now, he thought back again to that letter that had dropped on his desk, as he glanced about the scene in front of him. 

He was anxious, because in the few years he had come to office, he hadn’t quite interacted much with Vergil and Dante. 

He had, however, witnessed the twins’ prowess as knights. And he knew without a doubt, from seeing Vergil using Yamato’s portal once, where the letter had come from. 

The current Vicar was a sharp person. He wasn’t someone who truly wanted a high position of power, otherwise he would have put forth more effort to challenge Sanctus for the recommendation for the seat of Supreme General. During his continued service as an Officer under Sanctus, he had seen small signs, here and there, that Sanctus hid a lot of ulterior motives. 

And suddenly, recently, the former general had quieted down. 

So, connecting one dot with another, the current Vicar was both relieved that Sanctus had been put in his place, but also somewhat afraid. He was especially afraid of Vergil. 

When Leo had come up to him with the question of: “Your Holiness, would you be willing to hold a private marriage ceremony for someone?” He thought, well, if the Supreme General was asking, then it must be a special gesture the General wanted to grant to someone, right? 

“Well, if they come ask, I may not be opposed to it.” He had responded. 

Somehow, Leo’s smile was a little sheepish, and almost teasing: “Ah, well. Consider this a head’s up, then. I don’t believe he would let you refuse.”

And now, here he was, his palms sweating profusely in the reserved Grand Cathedral, up at the podium. 

The Vicar of the Order of the Sword underestimated simply how many surprises a day could throw at him. By the Grace of the Saviour, he wasn’t _that_ young anymore… have some mercy on his heart! The couple that is to wed, would be the infamous Seraphina Valkyrie, and… Fortuna Castle’s Young Lord, Vergil? The all-but-said-it-himself Eldest Son of Sparda? (Not Dante? But now that the Vicar thought about it, Vergil was not known to enjoy being in public, and was especially someone who did not enjoy being bothered. That did not necessarily mean that the young man didn’t have relationships, now, did it?)

Present company also included the younger brother, Dante, and their mother, Lady Eva. Supreme General Leo himself even showed up, with his wife Nova. They all stood not far from the couple across the podium from the Vicar.

The Vicar was baffled, but he tried to be as pleasant and cordial as possible when he asked tentatively: “You are certain, that you are content with a ceremony so simple as this?” 

“I see this only as a formality. If we wish to speak of contracts, there are far more binding ones out there than the plain paper of a marriage certificate.” Vergil had said so nonchalantly. But then he added: “But I suppose that trust which people have in each other is a gem in itself, isn’t it?” When he said that, he was more looking at Seraphina, who had responded to his words with _amusement_. 

The bride was _dressed in her knight’s uniform_. As was the groom, though that was more common and acceptable for men. And again, the Vicar was a sharp and observant person. Even if the uniform were tailored with a bit of room for natural changes to one’s body shape, Seraphina’s vest was a tad bit too tight about her waist. So, to them, this certificate was really just a formality for the masses, wasn’t it? The paper didn’t matter to them, when their love had most likely already crystallized. 

How unconventional… but did he dare make judgement on the Eldest Son of Sparda’s life choices? (Though, he would be among the people who would admit that Seraphina was an admirable knight. There would be no female Holy Knight more worthy of being a bride to a Son of Sparda.)

Seraphina then asked if she could see the marriage certificate that they were going to sign. She looked at the thick parchment gilded in gold on the corners, with the Order of the Sword’s red emblem at the top. The certificate itself was simply that, so the Vicar wasn’t certain why she wished to see it. 

And then she flipped it over, and pulled a pen out from her breast pocket. 

As she began to write something on the back, a clearly memorized script of something, she idly spoke: “I know I was never really one for convention. That kind of went out the window for me probably since before I was born. I can respect convention here and there, but I guess I’ve stopped caring when I had to grow up listening to the things people thought my parents were guilty of.” She glanced up for a moment, and the Vicar realized she was speaking directly to him: “Thank you, for allowing us this, and letting us borrow your time and this space, Your Holiness.”

What could he say? Something like this, so simple, and yet somehow so earnest… how could he deny her this? Besides, there wasn’t any holy law saying there had to be conventional vows and weddings. The certificate itself was enough. 

So he told her: “This is a happy thing. It is worth granting.”

Her smile ws genuine, with a slight blush to her cheeks. She finished what she was writing, capped her fountain pen, and slid the paper over to Vergil. He skimmed it, and read it aloud softly:

“What greater vow is there  
Than the feelings shared:  
That no matter the time,  
Or the place,  
We will still choose our fate  
To be forever entwined.”

Vergil smiled with a soft warmth that was rarely seen in public. “It’s lovely, Sera.” Flipping the certificate over, he held out his hand, and she handed him her pen. With an easy flourish, he wrote his name where it belonged, but paused, and then asked a question the Vicar didn’t think he’d ever be privy to hearing:

“Mother, what did father do for the surname?”

Everyone in the room turned to await an answer from Lady Eva, who smiled and said: “A name is often more than just a name. For devils, it holds a lot of meaning. He chose a first name as a connection to the human realm, and signed his true name for his surname. It’s sadly not the name on your official birth certificate. We thought it would have been too risky…” 

The way the explanation ended seemed to have left a lot unsaid. 

“And the name on our birth certificate is…?”

“Mine. Redgrave. But you know you are allowed to claim your father’s name? You also don’t necessarily need to sign a surname. It’s your choice, sweetheart.”

Vergil gave it some thought, and penned down his choice. When he slid both certificate and pen over towards Sera, he said: “So that if anyone tries to give you trouble, you have my heart, my soul, my sword, and my name at your back.”

Glancing down at the paper, though it was upside down to him, the Vicar saw the elegant script of “Vergil Sparda” written on the certificate. He heard the nurse, Nova, whisper: “How romantic…” to her husband, who was also trying to hide a grin. Sera was blushing when she received the pen, and signed her name. 

After that, it was the witnesses, which were all four guests of the room, and the Vicar’s signature saying that he officiated the ceremony. 

No speech or sermon from a book. The Vicar might as well have not been there for anything beforehand. But he understood the significance of this invitation, now, as he glanced down at the names written on the paper. 

This was a declaration of many things. Of a lineage having come back to Fortuna. Of a claim of protection. Of love. (A reminder, of a letter sent, to never turn your back on love…)

Usually, in Fortuna, one would say “May the Saviour be with you.” as a blessing. 

The Vicar did not say that. He did not need to. 

Nova gave Sera an emotional embrace, while, to the side, Dante finally (after what was probably a very difficult time of keeping quiet) said: “Hey, Verge! I know you weren’t looking for conventional and all, but there’s really one thing you HAVE to do before we leave here.”

Before Vergil could deny Dante’s request, he continued: “Think of it as practice, because you know you’re going to have to show signs of affection in public eventually. Come on! Kiss the bride!”

At this, even Leo smiled and teased: “That is a convention worth keeping, isn’t it?”

And Eva brightly and wordlessly gave Vergil a gentle push on his shoulder, towards Sera, who was being steered towards him by Nova. 

“It’s not just any other kiss, Sera.” She told her. “It’s one you can remember.”

The Vicar never thought he’d witness the cold and composed Vergil act slightly abashed, with a tinge of pink in his face. But for all of his reputation to be difficult, he leaned into her, and they exchanged their wedding kiss. 

And the Vicar thought: _This is what makes life and living worth it, isn’t it? The human capacity to love, which The Saviour sought to protect. Perhaps love is a kind of justice, too. And right here, in front of us, is the proof of Lord Sparda’s love._

* * *

Vergil had a ring on his hand now. It was a fairly simple silver band, with the etchings of the same thorns that he had embroidered in his coat, and Seraphina Valkyrie’s name on the inside of the ring. (She did not change her name, which Vergil did not mind. She kept “Valkyrie” partially out of spite. But Vergil had told her it was also a strong name of her own, which she deserved to keep.)

Sera, unfortunately, could not wear a ring on her hand due to her Ophidian Duet. But if anyone were to look closely at the segmented blades that snaked up her arms, that same pattern of thorns were now upon her blades. 

At the moment, of course, since they had a private ceremony, few would know to look for those changes. Vergil also wore gloves most of the time, so the ring was hardly visible. 

Barely a few days after their official marriage, Nova suggested that Sera actually get a checkup at a hospital. 

She scheduled an early morning appointment for her, when there isn’t yet a lot of people-flow. 

The obstetrician was a little surprised to see Vergil’s and Seraphina’s names on her appointment list. The moment she saw it, she understood why Nova had booked the appointment with her. She was the same obstetrician that took care of Nova when she was pregnant with Credo, and then Kyrie. They were friends in the medical field, and knew Sera’s mother, as well. 

So the doctor graciously handled the situation, respecting the new couple’s nervous energy, and professionally did not hold judgement. She’s certain that, with time, the rest of Fortune can find out slowly, on the couple’s own terms. 

She still asked a few important questions, and was able to tell them this much:

Sera is starting her 16th week. Overall she is pretty healthy, and it sounded like her symptoms were not overly severe. They should be getting better, at this stage, though the fatigue may remain. 

She reminded Seraphina that, as a knight, she ought to apply for leave for a while. 

It was still a little early to tell the gender of the baby yet, but everything else in the ultrasound checked out nicely. A healthy heartbeat was developing, and the spine was visible now. And of course, the doctor printed out an ultrasound photo for them. 

For everything she’s heard from gossip about the city’s “King of Thorns,” she wondered what that crowd would think, now, if they saw the usually stoic and cold Vergil sitting in a chair, with a somewhat dazed and mostly wondrous expression on his face as he gazed down at the photo in his hands. Even a formidable Holy Knight could not hold back their emotions when seeing, for the first time, the solid evidence of their first child’s existence. 

Sparda’s kin was no exception. 

(She’s also certain that there will be a wave of shock through the city once they have learnt that “King of Thorns” Vergil had privately married Seraphina. “Prince of Roses” Dante might be in for a rough month of prying questions.)

* * *

When Credo was first told that Aunty Sera would not be able to play-fight with him for a while, he was very sad. So he asked his mother why. 

“Your Aunty will be having a baby, so she needs to rest.”

Credo, of course, knew from when his mom was preparing for Kyrie, that this meant Aunty Sera would have a baby in her belly. And he understood why she wouldn’t be able to play with him for a while. But now he wasn’t as disappointed. 

He ran up to his aunty, and gave her a big hug, as big as he could give. “Mommy says you’re having a baby soon!”

Sera sat down on the nearest couch, and answered: “Yes. I am. Your Aunty Sera will be a mommy, soon.” 

“Wow! Aunty, can I touch?” He remembered his entire year of excitement, when he was waiting for his baby sister. At the time, of course, they didn’t know if it was going to be a boy or a girl, yet, and Credo was only just beginning to learn that babies grew in mommy’s belly. 

Sera blushed, and responded: “Um… sure… the baby is still very small, though.” She also wore a slightly more loose shirt today. A blouse that Credo had never seen his aunty wear before. But as far as Credo cared, big or small, aunty saying that there was a baby in her belly meant that the light swell was the baby. 

“Do you know what it is yet?” He asked as he lightly patted her abdomen, curious and excited. 

“Not yet. But you’ll be nice to them, no matter what, right?” She teased him. 

“Of course! And this is great! Soon, this means Kyrie will have a her-sized friend, right?” Again, Credo doesn’t quite have a grasp on how fast Kyrie will grow in the next five to six months, but he wasn’t entirely wrong. In a few years, that roughly one year age difference wouldn’t mean much, and Kyrie would absolutely have a friend when Credo had to be in school. But then, he looked around, and asked: “Who is going to be the baby’s daddy? Is he here with you today?”

He didn’t understand why his aunty giggled, but he was more interested in her telling him: “Vergil’s busy today. He has to patrol this evening.”

“Oh! Aunty will have a baby with Vergil?” He thought about it for a moment. “Does that mean I should call him Uncle Vergil?”

At that, Sera laughed. “I don’t know. You could ask him, next time you see him? But he might not like that. Remember, he didn’t like that before.”

No, Credo didn’t really remember. But he’ll remember to ask. And Vergil would still deny him the permission to call him that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- 3000 words worth of “parenting conversation” that I’m not sure if I’m qualified to write. Sometimes I ask myself if I’m qualified to write family fluff and drama at all. Every line for Eva that I write, I ask/remind myself: is this how to mom?  
> \- I mean, I did say in the story summary that Eva is just trying her best. Now I’d like to add: the author is just trying their best, too. *nervous laughter*  
> \- Note that just because I did not write a discussion on Sera’s right to make choices, does not mean that she was not allowed the right. But we all know that this is a happy story where Sera totally wants the child, so why serve vinegar with sugar?  
> \- I love the whole Vergil trying to be a dad to Nero theme, across all forms, whether it be canon complaint, or if he gets to raise him. But being a parent starts with taking care of the partner, too. So, yes, I will be doing a bit of pregnancy fluff first.  
> \- No, I never know what to do about conventional weddings. Yes, that was probably cheesy. But can you imagine Vergil being able to deal with a full blown proper wedding ceremony? - At least, not at this age, when he’s still somewhat flustered about showing love publicly. He’ll have to learn to get better about that!  
> \- Writing and talking about something else at the same time is a feat. Just saying. Roll dex? (This is a poorly executed DnD joke.)  
> \- I ended up going with “Redgrave” for Eva’s last name because there is something very specific I want to try and do. Either way it’s still not a bad choice I think. As for last names for Dante and Vergil… There are very few options that feel fitting, and I could have gone the route of no last name. But then, sometimes… there are good uses for it.  
> \- On that note: the idea that the Sparda Name/Bloodline is cursed hasn’t really come to mind; so Vergil didn’t think twice about signing his name as such. And he absolutely will never regret it.  
> \- Why is kiddie Credo so cute? Oh my god little Credo is being so adorable right now. I can’t even handle it, and I’m the writer!  
> \- (Happy Father’s day, Vergil! And Sparda, in spirit, so to speak!)


	8. Lion's Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding love. Check.  
> Getting married. Check.  
> Having a baby...
> 
> Is a 40 week work in progress. But Sera is getting through her second trimester just fine. Vergil isn't without uncertainty, but his friends and family wouldn’t be leaving them helpless. 
> 
> Still, there were a few other loose ends to wrap up. 
> 
> And Kassy visits from afar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Art embedded at the end of this chapter! I finally drew Seraphina!]

> _Kassy,_
> 
> _Verge got married!_
> 
> _Can you believe it? I mean yeah I suppose that’s supposed to be the best thing to happen to a couple but you wouldn’t believe the reason he married Sera now instead of later._
> 
> _HE KNOCKED HER UP._
> 
> _Holy shit this is my stuck up big brother we’re talking about still. The same one that tells me “Dante don’t be irresponsible” and “Dante don’t do anything stupid.”_
> 
> _You don’t wanna know how much I want to throw these words back at him now! But I don’t want to insult Sera so I’m zipping my mouth shut._
> 
> _Well, big shock aside, I guess the end result isn’t going to be a bad thing? We were all really worried he wasn’t going to take it well, and by “we” I meant me and mom. But now that the shock has blown over, he’s completely attached to Sera every free moment he has._
> 
> _I can’t even begin to describe how weird this all is to me. Sure, when they started dating I thought eventually things might get like this but this is happening_ _now_ _._
> 
> _Vergil is going to be a dad soon. That blows my mind. Somehow my best friend becoming a mom soon doesn’t shock me as much? Guess it’s because I’ve already seen her handle other children._
> 
> _Anyway, life’s weird right now. Hope your witchy thing is getting sorted out okay._
> 
> _-Dante_
> 
> _P.S. I catch Verge staring at the photo from the ultrasound a lot. I dunno but he looks at it like it’s this unbelievable treasure. It’s surreal. I want to tease him for it but that’s a bit too mean isn’t it?_

* * *

Within one week, Vergil read through every book Nova lent them on the topic of pregnancy care. He never realized just how intricate (and even delicate) the entire system was. The development of an entirely brand new life was indeed a very involved process, and at many points in time between his readings, he couldn’t help but wonder how his mother had gone through this. Everything he read pretty much told him that twins were an even more taxing development. 

And truth be told, despite all the new knowledge he gained from this reading, he did not feel any more prepared for what’s to come. 

But that’s okay. Because he had Sera. And he had his family. And there’s still Nova and Leo. (It’s strange to think that, of all the things his technical superior officer would have his back in, it wasn’t regarding his role or tasks as a Holy Knight.)

They have people who will help them figure things out. 

With reading out of the way, he then needed to occupy some of his anxious time with something else. 

Vergil rarely used his considerable physical strength for menial tasks. Oh, yes, he had most certainly used it to move a heavy piece of furniture before (to climb up to the pantry to steal cookies. _Once._ Only once.) He had, on occasion, used it to literally dump Dante out of bed. (He still did, even recently, as young adults.) 

He will _always_ use it to help his mother carry heavy things. 

And in one single day, he moved everything in the spare room Sera had in her apartment, to prepare it for their new arrival. 

He slightly begrudged that strength now, because the task of emptying out the room was almost effortless and took little time. He realized he might all-too-quickly run out of things to do and go back immediately into anxious waiting mode. 

Sera could have moved into Fortuna Castle. But after talking about it, they both decided it was too isolated. Though her residency there was one way of announcing a change in her relationship status, it was too vague. Furthermore, Sera did not like the idea of living outside of the city.

And Vergil would not take her from her comfortable environment. Even though she grew up with people dropping bad gossip about her, she was not one to run away from them. 

She will challenge them instead. And the best way to do so, they agreed, was to slowly show everyone in the city their relationship. 

“You realize that your… ex-grandfather, as you so aptly called him, will still attempt to make another unsavory round at you?” He had asked with concern.

She smiled slyly, and told him: “Let him try. It will be his last. And though I am every bit capable of holding my own against his storm, you now have the absolute right to defend me against slander. And I will give that to you, Vergil. I will give you that satisfaction. And it will be my satisfaction, too.”

Goodness, this is one of the things he loved about her. She will be ruthless where it counts. 

Vergil had also noticed how Sera sought out not just his proximity more often, but also his scent. He wasn’t certain if she could pick up on his scent on the same level as he could with hers, but on days or nights where he had to leave for patrol, he would come back to find her with one of his coats in her arms, or around her body. When he asked about it, she described that it simply brought her comfort, even though she wasn’t certain why. 

In merely two weeks, it was astonishing how much changed. There was no hiding the swell of her stomach now, where, when he placed his hand against her skin, he couldn’t help but feel amazed at the child’s existence. And with his acute hearing, if he pressed his ear against her belly, he would hear, softly behind the more prominent sound of Sera’s heartbeat, the rapid but steady heartbeat of the child. 

There was also now the unmistakable presence of something demonic radiating from the child. Dante was the first to notice, and enlightened Vergil to its presence. He hadn’t known to look for it before, but now he had even more proof of the presence of the child. 

These signs were even more real than the photograph from the ultrasound. 

And of course, there was how Sera was handling the pregnancy. 

Vergil and Sera had been handed quite a few different reading materials, from something clinical, to something more for soothing a new mother’s worries, to a book that most definitely had been General Leo’s, on the topic of taking care of one’s expecting wife. 

There was a lot of writing on the insecurities and discomforts that the mother would experience, and Vergil could hardly imagine how difficult it was going to be on her. He only understood that she _would_ be uncomfortable at times. 

But she had never been insecure about her body before, and she wasn’t fretting over it now. And Vergil found that he was grateful that his lioness (his _wife_ … what a new thing to get used to!) was not like the other chatty women of the city, with no concern about her weight or body shape so long as she remained healthy and able to perform her tasks. 

Sera did, however, complain about her oversight regarding her wardrobe. She had always preferred her clothes tailored to her form, though conservative in her own way, and when it came to dresses, she owned a total sum of a single red dress given to her by a kind neighbor when she first moved into the apartment. She’s going to require new clothes even after the pregnancy. Nothing is going to fit right about her widening hips, and it still remains to be seen how much more her body will change. Vergil wasn’t very critical on the female form in specific, so he never minded that Sera’s assets in her chest were average. It was beginning to seem like she’s going to need new garments all around, however. 

That could be something easily rectified. Vergil hadn’t really used much of his income for anything beyond new books and occasionally eating out. He’ll have enough to provide, and he realized he did not mind putting his future pay towards the bills, rent, and groceries they now share. Life was going to be a bit different from when he lived in the castle all the time, but this felt like it was going to be fulfilling in its own way. 

The one thing Vergil wished, however, was for his beloved to be more forward of her discomforts. Perhaps it was a condition left from enduring the time of being orphaned, along with the time she was hospitalized over the incident with the Devil Arm, but she would rather endure her discomfort with little complaint, than to voice it. Even if he couldn’t make it go away entirely, he felt it to be his obligation to take care of her. 

He never realized it before, but Sera wasn’t prone to taking a lot of help. She has most certainly had help throughout her life, but she’s bad about actually asking for it, when it regards her own well-being. He had to coax her into it, and remind her that she’s allowed to ask to be taken care of. 

Somehow, this felt familiar… like the time his mother told him it’s okay to want help from his own brother.

Speaking of his brother, Vergil was actually very grateful towards Dante’s very existence right now. Ever since he had learnt… no, maybe even before he actually knew about the pregnancy, Vergil had found himself compelled to patrol. Not as his job as a knight, but because he felt like he _should_ , that he _had to_. After thinking about things a little rationally, he realized the buzzing in his blood was probably his devil surfacing. 

He wasn’t entirely sure if devils had any real “pack instincts.” Honestly, there was very little information on devils’ social and familial habits… if the devils of hell had anything resembling family at all. But he had his trust in Dante, and when Dante was on patrol, Vergil felt like he could take some manner of comfort in it, and simply focus on Sera. 

And Vergil will never be ungrateful. He mentally made note that if Dante doesn’t give him a chance to do the same for him in the future, he will find another way to pay him back in kind.

* * *

...Vergil received a letter from Kassy. In Chinese. Which was odd. He was expecting a letter from Roy. 

> 维吉尔，
> 
> _Vergil,_
> 
> 你是一个糟糕的笔友。
> 
> _You are a terrible penpal._
> 
> 不，你的中文写的没问题。我本愿意为你单从写信学上字文的本领佩服，但这位妹妹需要为大哥追求公平。
> 
> _No, there is no problem with your written Chinese. I would like to be impressed by your ability to learn a written language from exchanging letters alone, but this little sister is going to demand fairness for her [eldest] big bro._
> 
> 你这么多年给我大哥写信，问他要翻译，向他要书文，要资料。他还给你寄过巧克力，还给你的女友住院时送康复礼物。对，那都是他送的，虽然住院是我从蛋蛋听说然后告诉哥的。
> 
> _You write to my big bro for this many years, asking for translations, requesting texts, wanting research materials. He even sent you chocolate, and sent your hospitalized girlfriend get-well gifts. Yes, that was all from him, though I heard about her hospitalization first from [Dante] and then I told my big brother._
> 
> 总算可以说你们是朋友吧？
> 
> _Surely you could say you two are friends then?_
> 
> 所以我说，维吉尔你结婚这件事总应该自己告诉我哥吧？可你上一封信还是义务性的，理论文章资料。说点家事就不行吗？大哥从我口中才听说你结婚。以前也是从我而听说你和仙女姐姐搭伴起来的。
> 
> _So, I’d say, Vergil shouldn’t you at least tell my big brother yourself that you were getting married? Yet your last letter was still all obligation-like, debating texts and data. Can’t you just talk about matters of the self a bit? Big bro only heard about your marriage from my mouth. Last time he also had to hear it from me that you got together with [Fairy big-sis.]_
> 
> 别说是结婚喜事，孩子都快有了，你一声不吭的，不把我大哥当朋友吗？我们住在这个孤独的小岛上，不像你们的岛城。不能在平凡人面前发挥魔力，也不能交友。朋友就只有你和你弟弟了。斯巴达的长子你也太冷心了，把我哥哥当成什么了？
> 
> _Nevermind the blessed wedding, you’re about to have a child, yet you made no sound about it, as if you don’t treat my big bro as a friend? We live on this lonely little island, not like your guys’ island city. We can’t utilize our devil-powers in front of plain folks, and we can’t befriend them. The only friends we have are you and your little brother. Sparda’s Eldest Son, you are too cold-hearted, what did you think my big brother was to you?_
> 
> 行了，我不扫你兴了。大哥二哥和小妹祝你百年好合，幸福美满，等等。小妹我明年新年从我家人为你家人带新婚礼品！不许不领！
> 
> _Alright, I’ll stop raining on your parade. Eldest brother, second brother, and little sister all wish you a century of good companionship, full of beauty and happiness, etc. This lil-sis is going to stop by next year on New Years with wedding gifts from my family to yours! No refusals allowed!_
> 
> 王翠蝶  
>  _[Kassandra]_

When Sera caught Vergil staring bafflingly at the letter, she said: “That’s not a look I see on you often. Is something the matter?”

He skimmed through the contents of the letter yet again; reading a language such as this without ever hearing it was an odd kind of practice, where he looked over the symbols and pieced together the meaning of the words like it was a code he had become adept at breaking over the years. 

Kassy’s letter, however, was vastly different from Roy’s. Vergil realized with fascination that, all these years, Roy had been writing to him using very formal language, even when he (very rarely) added personal information. The most informal he’s ever gotten were post scripts that, in a nice but still obviously annoyed manner, said “I’m not big into non-fiction but I read that boring thing to understand what you’re talking about.”

So, yes, perhaps Kassandra was right about something. Vergil might have under-appreciated Roy’s correspondence. 

Despite the respect he held for the little sister who cared for her older brother’s feelings, he was still somewhat peeved that she had the audacity to berate him. But, alongside that, her letter was somewhat entertaining, and if he understood the context correctly, “Fairy big-sis” must be in reference to Seraphina. 

It was a rather flattering nickname. It meant that, whatever it was that Dante told Kassy, it made the girl respect Sera. 

But more hilarious than that, was that Kassy’s nickname for Dante… in some childish manner, used the word _egg_. [蛋] was the word for egg. Looking it up in the dictionary, it had the same phonetics as the first character in Dante’s translated name, [但丁]. So, [蛋蛋] had to be referring to Dante, right? After all, who else could have told Kassy that Sera was hospitalized a few years back?

He’s somewhat certain that Dante did not know his penpal referred to him as “egg-y.” Vergil couldn’t help but find that a little funny, and he filed this information away to use against Dante, or even Kassandra, later. 

To Sera, he answered: “I believe I may have slighted a friend.” 

He described the contents of the letter to her, and for a while, they went on a bit of a tangent. Sera was impressed that he knew how to read and write in something so drastically different, and she found the letter cute, as well.

“Kassy is very… sweet. It’s a bit cute that she got all ruffled for her brother. But I wonder if she’s actually conveying how her brother feels, or if she’s conveying more of how she feels.” 

“Well, perhaps we could find out.” He reached over to the other letter that had arrived with Kassy’s. Sera settled comfortably into the couch at his side, while he opened the second letter with a summoned sword like it was the most natural thing to do. 

Roy’s letter was surprisingly in English. 

> _Vergil,_
> 
> _I hope you would forgive my little sister, if she sent you anything. Which, I am sure that she would._
> 
> _As such, I will try not to be long winded about this._
> 
> _I would be lying if I weren’t a little disappointed. My brother insisted that I tell you that. I know we each rarely speak about our siblings, though I hear plenty of yours from my sister. But living with Evan means spending all my life around a living lie-detector. I am certain that you would not like meeting my brother._
> 
> _But I digress._
> 
> _I am not as upset over being uniformed of your wedding than my sister may make it seem. I suspect she is upset because marriage is hardly a thing in my family. Perhaps I should explain: as a family of devil-lineage, we are mostly comprised of children brought back from females of the family who go out to prowl for men that may sire their children. Males of the family rarely have the luck to have a mate that would stick around long enough to leave us children._
> 
> _Kassy is not very… fond of the circumstances she is stuck with. We are unable to get close to normal humans. But that is not my problem to share._
> 
> _Since she has so eloquently spilled the beans to me about your marriage and impending child, however, allow me to still congratulate you. And perhaps we can let this be the mark of the first time we exchange letters that are not full of academia._
> 
> _Please, do, keep me apprised of your situation. My family adores children, and I would be delighted to hear about your little one from time to time._
> 
> _And before I end this letter, I should warn you that this news has also reached my sire. He is planning on sending you gifts one way or another. Be forewarned: Kassy has already volunteered herself to deliver said gifts. Please be lenient with her. As meddlesome as she can be, she is still my baby sister._
> 
> _Sincerely,  
>  _ _Roy King_

Vergil usually didn’t share the contents of his letters with others, unlike Dante. Then again, Vergil couldn't’ be certain if Dante was always sharing everything written to him. Besides, rarely were any of Vergil’s letters with Roy personal. He would, on occasion, share some of the contents of academia with his mother. 

So, sharing some of it with Sera this time… felt very intimate. 

“I’ve always heard a lot from Dante about Kassandra. I suppose this is one of her older brothers that she was worried about? Something about a flirty witch?” Sera smiled. 

“I believe so. But that’s hardly something for me to worry over, when he hasn’t said anything about it himself. The takeaway from these letters is that we have people outside of Fortuna who are wishing us well.” He set the letter down beside Kassy’s, and reached over towards Sera. She shifted and leaned into him, letting his arm reach around her back, so that his hand would gently rest on the side of her stomach. 

“Do you plan on writing back?”

“To Kassandra? I will figure something out. If we are to meet her eventually, perhaps some things can be saved for a face-to-face conversation, which I would prefer over a letter. But for Roy, I might owe him a little for his years of correspondence. Perhaps he would be fine with waiting just another week or two…” He responded as he enjoyed the proximity of her leaning into him. “Where, when I next write to him, I could tell him if we will be having a boy, or a girl?”

* * *

Seraphina never thought she’d have something like this in her life. 

Sera did not believe in the idea that something such as _faith in The Saviour_ would bring her happiness. 

Never did she imagine that she was, in a manner of speaking, still putting faith in Sparda, because she had come to be married to _Vergil Sparda_. 

And he was so, so good to her. 

Sera wouldn’t call herself the best cook in the kitchen; she made due where she could, since she didn’t get to learn much from her own family, who also weren’t savants of the kitchen. But when he was available, Vergil would help her when she cooked. And he picked up knife work like he had done it for years. 

More than that, she realized that, despite all the years of knowing both Vergil and Dante since they were young, she still had much to learn about Vergil. Living together opened up many new avenues of interaction, most of them fascinating, and a few of them frustrating. They worked out where their habits clashed and re-aligned their habits as best they could, though it had mostly been a dance of Vergil adjusting to Sera’s life. 

And ever since their marriage, Sera was also pleased that he became more affectionate. It wasn’t that he wasn’t affectionate before. But now, there was more of it. 

The general public may only see Vergil as cold, detached, and sometimes even frightening… but that was fine with Sera. Because to her, those were just as much part of his qualities as his caring side, with his thoughtful mannerisms (even if they are more for private moments.)

There was something wonderful to her, about this situation. That Vergil, in all his near-unparalleled strength and fierceness, would do things like read her poems out loud, help her prep for dinner, learn to braid her hair…

And then, there was the surprising thing she learnt about him: he played the violin. 

The topic of musical instruments had never come up before. If Vergil ever cared to brag about anything (if you could call it bragging at all; he always made everything sound like a factual statement,) it was usually in regards to fighting. But when Vergil first started tentatively moving a few of his personal belongings to her apartment, the violin was one of the first items he brought with him. 

So, on many nights, Sera would not only enjoy him reading a few pages of his book to him, but also a few melodies. She sometimes wondered if the baby in her belly could hear what goes on about them. If over time, they would come to recognize these sounds; their voices, those melodies…

And she was never much of a singer. She’s glad that, just maybe, they will have an alternative to her singing lullabies. 

And so, four weeks since her first checkup went by. Between those weeks, they had gone out to eat with Dante twice. Most other times, Dante would drop by to visit the apartment. Sera had expected him to feel awkward about the entire situation at first, but it seemed that Dante very quickly accepted the situation and moved on fully into “holy shit I’m going to be an uncle soon” territory. 

He continued to be her best friend; nothing changed just because she was now his sister-in-law. And now, more than ever, Sera saw him be a fantastic brother to Vergil. The two still had their brotherly spats at times, but she never failed to see how much they cared about each other. 

As she neared 20 weeks, the babe was getting active. She hadn’t been certain at first on what she was feeling, but pretty soon, it was hard to ignore. She wouldn’t know a thing about how strong a normal unborn child should be, but Lady Eva had assured her that she would be fine. And Sera was inclined to believe her… after all, Eva had gone through carrying twins with more demonic blood than this little one. Sera rarely thought about the fact that her beloved was half-devil, but at times like these, it mattered to her human condition. 

The child responded quite a lot to stimuli, though. It brought fondness and fascination to Vergil when Sera would tell him when she felt something. More than that, their little one has clearly begun to react to more than just sound. 

Sera was fairly certain that, whenever Vergil was gone for a long period of time, such as for patrols, when he came back, the child would react to his presence. Though, a very scant few times, when she was alone and Dante dropped by to say hi, the babe seemed to be aware of his arrival at her door. 

So she asked Vergil one day: “How early were you able to sense demonic presences?”

He had furrowed his brow in thought, before answering: “I’m unsure. For a long time, we weren’t aware that we were feeling something that others wouldn’t. After a certain point, we might have taken that ability for granted, and then had to re-hone it.”

The answer wasn’t particularly enlightening, so she also asked Eva. 

“Oh, it’s innate, though I guess it’s much like how a newborn would reflexively know to hold their breath underwater. Swimming has to be properly taught, and the ability to sense the demonic is probably the same. But your hunch is right, dear. The twins used to react quite excitingly to Spencer’s proximity. You’re little one is definitely doing the same.”

It was definitely something sweet to think about, that their child was already recognizing the presence of family. 

And, at her second checkup, the little one was in a good position for the ultrasound to reveal the baby’s gender. 

A healthy baby boy. He was active, and Sera knew that in a scant month or so, that activity will be felt more acutely. 

But beyond that, knowing now that they will have a son was news that made her heart warm. She didn’t actually have a preference one way or the other, but the knowledge still pleased her. 

At home, she asked Vergil: “Are you excited at the prospect of a day in the future, where you will teach him how to wield his first sword?”

He laughed softly. “I would teach our child how to wield a blade regardless if they are a son or a daughter. You yourself are a knight of high caliber. Why would we not teach our child how to wield the blade?”

This was yet another thing she loved about him. Vergil never looked down on her capabilities due to her physical form, and what he said next would be the highest compliment a woman like her could ever receive: “He’s more than just a continued legacy of my father, the Legendary Dark Knight. More than just _my_ child. He’s yours, too. I hope that he would also be every bit as versatile as you are. He will have much to learn from you, too.”

* * *

Dante. Is. Bored. 

Oh, some very interesting things have happened, but at this moment, his boredom stemmed from the fact that his best friend and his brother needed more time together, and he shouldn’t be around third-wheeling every moment. 

Sera never minded his presence, but Dante wanted to give them time to adjust. Still, the sudden lack of almost-daily get-togethers left him a little listless. He couldn’t keep stopping by her apartment every day. 

So he stuck around his mom, helped her out here and there, and ultimately began to roam the streets idly. 

The first time the three of them had lunch together since Vergil and Sera tied the knot, was the first time they stopped sitting at the table with exactly the same distance between all of them, or with Sera on one side and the twins on the other. 

And after the second time, Dante would occasionally hear the whispering going on, of several different people. Such as:

“Lady Valkyrie hasn’t been around very often lately.”  
“Have you seen her at all recently? She looks…”  
“Shhh! Surely…”  
“Do you know what, you know, the Valkyrie family says about her?”  
“But she’s so… is she really as they say? She’s, but she’s…”  
“She’s very impressive, but she’s definitely pregnant right now. She hasn’t been on patrol, and you saw her the other day with…”  
“Hush! Do you think…?”  
“Would they? They are very close, aren’t they? But this is a little improper, isn’t it?”  
“No, but I was thinking… even if it were… we all know who they are. So if Dante…”  
“Wait, wait, but did you actually _see_ the three of them the other day?”  
“I mean, yes! I work at that cafe you know!”  
“Yes but did you _see_ ? The way they were sitting? She wasn’t sitting by Dante!”  
“You can’t be serious? You think she’s… she’s _with_ the King of Thorns? Vergil? But he’s always so…”  
“I suppose we can’t judge a book by its cover, and he’s always so secretive.”  
“Besides, wasn’t there talk that she’s dated a bunch of guys? Heard those relationships never last long, either.”  
“Someone did say she’s a harlot, but she really doesn’t look like one, you know?”  
“Listen here, I was thinking… with how the Valkyrie family acts regarding her, don’t you think it’s a little strange?”  
“What do you mean it’s strange?”  
“Just think! Lady Valkyrie is pregnant, and we know how close she is to Dante at the very least. The three of them didn’t act like there was anything wrong lately, did they?”  
“I guess not? You know I shouldn’t eavesdrop on my customers!”  
“Besides, what does this have to do with the Valkyrie family? Oh, you don’t think she’s going to do what her mother did, and give the Valkyrie name to her babe, are you? I heard from mama that when that happened, the old families talked about Sir Valkyrie’s rage for weeks! But really, he’s already disowned them, so why hold on to the grudge?”  
“She might. But what does it matter? If they are all still spending time like nothing was out of the ordinary…”  
“No way! So you really think it’s one of them?”  
“It has to be Dante, though, right?”  
“I’m not sure how to feel about this… but if they are, you know… Who would dare speak ill of the Blessed?”  
“Exactly! Oh but imagine this also… if it’s true… the Valkyrie family have every reason to get in a tiff over this. They cut Seraphina off from the family, but she still became a Holy Knight, and then an Officer! Imagine now, that the very girl they cut away, is going to be having a child by one of _those two_ ?”  
“ _By the Saviour_. This is scandalous, but why does it feel like poetic justice? Lady Valkyrie is such a wonderful Holy Knight! Honestly I wish I could be as graceful and strong as she is... I always thought it was a shame her own family threw her away!”

Dante had to laugh to himself. So some of the populace isn’t as dense as they might seem. Still, he should probably tell Vergil that they needed to make a few things more apparent, soon. 

It might have been cute the first time he heard it, but the more he listens to people thinking _he’s_ the father of the child, the more he’s feeling like he’s doing his best friend a disservice in the rumor mill. 

The grapevine aside, the past four weeks had its ups and downs. 

Kassy’s letter to Vergil, once Dante heard about it, made him cackle. He had stopped bothering his brother years ago about the contents of his exchanges, because he didn’t care about Vergil’s boring letters about reading books and what-not. 

Still, the idea that Kassy was visiting was exciting! Fortuna rarely had outsiders visit, apart from trade. And when they did, they didn’t stay long. Dante had to admit, some of it was for the best. This island that worshipped his father was a bit weird. And it can stay weird so long as he and the rest of his family can be safe and actually live life. Outsiders might jeopardize that, so even Dante would get a little anxious about visitors. 

But this was Kassy. Kassy would be a _very special guest_. And the idea of meeting someone he’s only ever seen in photos was exciting!

Even his mother was looking forward to it. Eva had a guest room at the castle cleared out already. “It’s a bit of a shame you didn’t get to grow up with more similar peers. Sometimes I wondered if I should have moved us to where Lance lives, but at the same time, they live very far away. I don’t regret coming here. It feels more like home. So I’m simply happy that at least someone from your father’s friend’s family is going to visit.”

But she wouldn’t be arriving until New Year’s Eve. That’s still a little under two months away. For now? There was a lot of excitement buzzing about Sera’s pregnancy. 

Little Credo has been just as excited about Sera’s baby as he had been about baby Kyrie. Guess, to the kid, it was simply a new addition to the people he loved. Dante had to admit the excitement was infectious. The kid asked several times if Sera would be having a baby boy or a baby girl. Though Credo didn’t mind that he had a baby sister, this time, he had a preference: “I already have Kyrie, so I think it would be cool if Aunty has a boy!” That would be nice, wouldn’t it? Then Credo would have the equivalent of a little brother to play with, too. 

So when Sera found out she was indeed having a boy, Credo was elated that “his wishes were answered.”

And the first thing Dante asked Vergil was: “You gonna teach the kiddo how to use the Yamato, just like the old man did?”

“What kind of foolish question is that, Dante? We’re the descendants of Sparda. What descendant of Sparda wouldn’t eventually learn how to handle a sword?”

Dante thought it was a bit of a silly precedent to set, but he had to admit, Vergil was probably right. The sword was in their blood and in their name. Gosh, even he was already thinking of the day where he’d get to teach his nephew a thing or two. 

(Something in the back of his mind also said: and what about yourself? There could be a future where Verge could be teaching your own kid some of his tricks. Isn’t that a nice thought? Your nephew deserves a cousin eventually, right? And that’s besides the point of whether Vergil and Sera decide on having another.)

Still, this was going to have its trials. There have been a few occasions where Vergil would admit to him and their mother, that he’s unsure of what to do, or if he’s doing things right. 

Sera seemed to be a little reluctant to voice her discomforts. Dante never noticed before how she wasn’t very vocal about wanting help, and as a friend, he suddenly felt like he was an inadequate best friend. Still, now he could trust Vergil to take care of her. And Eva was there for them, so he’s sure Vergil would do fine. 

And Vergil was absolutely not able to keep idle. At barely halfway through the pregnancy, even Sera giggled and said that Vergil was going to run out of things to prepare, soon. Vergil has even conscripted Dante’s help with putting together a _crib._ Well, Dante was always good with tinkering and building, but he was also bad about reading instructions. They had a little fight over the instructions before they finally got to work. But by the end of it, Dante realized that Vergil just wanted him there for moral support. His older twin didn’t need help assembling something that came with instructions. 

“Do you think it would be a little too early to decide on painting the room blue?” Vergil had asked idly. 

Dante could only shrug. “It’s a good colour. Besides, kid might appreciate the colour as much as you do. What’s there to worry about, anyway? If he doesn’t like it, you can always repaint it down the line.”

And then there was the food cravings thing. 

Dante never knew that a pregnancy could cause something as weird as a food craving. Sera was already someone who preferred a high-protein diet, so the constant want for eggs and meats of all kinds on her grocery list wasn’t a surprise. But this was probably the third jar of olives she wanted in the past four weeks. When Vergil first picked it up at the market, Dante was baffled. “Dude, you don’t like olives any better than I do. Sure, you don’t complain about it as much, but why olives?”

“It’s for Sera.” He had stated plainly, and Dante shuddered. 

* * *

Eva had not meant to, but did, somehow, manage to make herself some sort of figure of grace among the Order of the Sword. She supposed it was inevitable, when she was relied upon to bring treatment to knights that have been hurt by demonic things. She even helped them identify and quarantine a number of trinkets and even devil arms. 

There was something nice about being a witch in a city that did not condemn her work. Her place at the Holy Knight’s offices in the city had now turned into something of an apothecary. She carefully created a number of potions for emergencies, and even salves that would help with first aid against demonic venom and curses before proper treatment could be administered. 

As such, very few dared to besmirch her name, especially when most of the population suspected her relation with their Saviour. 

Tired of keeping secrets, but still not caring to share the truth outright, Eva decided that now was not a bad time to simply do something she wanted, without fear of problems arising. Fortuna was slowly wrapping itself around the wills and whims of her sons, which boiled down to the want of a safe home, and people to live among. 

With the days going by, Eva went shopping to try and find soft but sturdy cloth and materials, along with heavy duty threads. She would certainly weave some magic into it, but the sturdier the base materials, the better. 

One bold shopkeeper asked curiously: “Milady, what are you looking to make? Perhaps I would be able to find suitable materials if I knew…?”

So she smiled mysteriously, and told the shopkeep: “I need something that would last a while, for a babe that will no doubt unintentionally attempt to tear things apart.”

The way the curiosity compounded in the shopkeeper’s eyes was obvious, and they stammered and tried to suggest many things that could fit the category. She looked like she really wanted to ask more questions, but knew better. 

In the end, Eva settled on some surprisingly soft but thick leathers that would be perfect for what she wanted to work on. She also found some gold thread, which would be perfect for infusing with magic, though it’s not a strong thread. No matter, that could make stitchings for wards. 

As she was leaving the shop, she walked past someone who seemed to realize who he had walked past, and turned to stop her: “Lady Eva!”

She paused to turn, and recognized the young man that had stopped her. “Sir Lucien Valkyrie.” She would be able to recognize him, for it was hard not to make note of the Valkyrie family. Lucien was a good young man; at the very least, he was not malicious, and did not cause trouble. 

But for him to approach her, with such a troubled look on his face, Eva could feel that _something_ was coming to a head. 

“Lady Eva, please, permit me just a little of your time. If here is not convenient, I am happy to speak elsewhere. I simply need to… I wish to inquire about my cousin.” He asked quickly, just above a whisper. 

Eva didn’t see a problem starting this conversation right here, in the streets, between two shops. “You would call her your cousin?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. She didn’t need to state that “her” was Seraphina. 

Lucien seemed to swallow nervously. “Please, don’t misunderstand. I am… I never really understood what went on, back then. In not being able to understand the things that had transpired before I was even born, I tried to stay out of it. But this grudge, this _obsession_ , that my grandfather still holds? It’s becoming ridiculous. So I need to know: What is the news, the truth, that surrounds Seraphina? I need to know, or I would not be able to handle my grandfather’s folly.”

“Your grandfather’s folly? Child, that is not your responsibility to bear. Should your elder make a fool out of himself, that is his burden.” She wasn’t callous to his plight, however. She simply needed to gauge exactly what his intentions were. 

“Yes, well, perhaps I want to be one of the people to tell him off.” Lucien grumbled. 

Now, this was what Eva was looking for. 

“Well, if you’re looking for the truth under every lie your elder tried to slather on, perhaps you could bring your cousin a peace-offering, and go speak with her yourself? Though, the peace offering might be more useful for getting her husband to let you through the door.” She cryptically suggested. 

Lucien blinked owlishly. “She married? I mean… that’s.. That’s good, actually! But why hasn’t she…”

“Not every wedding has to be known by the entire city, Good Sir.” 

She hadn’t meant to sound chastising, but Lucian took it as such, and ducked his head to apologize: “You’re correct, Milady. And it shouldn't’ be any of my grandfather’s damn business. If she’s family, then he needs to treat her like family. He needs to stop running his mouth.”

“Well, Lucien… Seraphina is beyond the point of wanting that branch of her family back. But if you have real blessings to give, she might still appreciate it.”

He was briefly thoughtful, before asking: “I’m not familiar with her. Nor am I certain I know who… I’m unsure what would be an appropriate peace-offering for them?”

“Something simple but practical. If you want to appeal to Vergil, however…” She left a lot unsaid, but she wore a sly smile. Light panic flashed across Lucien’s face; he might have been hoping that the ‘King of Thorns’ was not the one he had to deal with. “Toys for the baby that’s to come sometime in March. If you’re still uncertain about your choice or uncertain if you’ll be well-received, why don’t you approach Dante, first? He can tell you if his brother or his sister-in-law will like what you bring.”

Lucien looked shocked beyond words. When he finally found it in him to respond, he said: “Thank you, Lady Eva. I will take this advice.” 

* * *

Dante, Vergil, and Sera were greatly surprised when Lucian approached them with a gift: an adorable little black cat plush. 

“I realized I never asked if… well, no matter. A cat plush is a good gift for a baby, no matter the gender, right?” Lucien had said sheepishly. He felt like he was sitting in a den of devils, his cousin included along those. It was rare to see her in a dress; but she still had those _weapons_ upon her arms. A fierce lion instead of a meek lamb, even if her midsection swelled with child. 

“I… Lucien, this is…” Sera took the toy, and finally said: “This is very sweet of you, but, why? We had never interacted before, until I joined the Holy Knights. Even then, we were barely acquaintances. So, what is this for? If this is an apology, I should tell you… you don’t need to give me one. You have nothing to apologize for.”

Everyone in the room waited as Lucien tensed, and then finally said: “I suppose I don’t. So take this gift as a… a wish, I suppose. I wished we actually got to be cousins.”

Sera knit her brow together, while Vergil and Dante glanced at each other, each a little confused over this conversation. 

“Why would you wish for something like that? Aren’t I the no-good branch to be thrown away? A bad decision from my mother?”

“Don’t say that!” Lucien almost pleaded. “No, let me explain. It’s… I know gramps is a colossal asshole. But you don’t really know about what went on in the family--”

“And why would she?” Vergil cut him off coldly. “Your foolish grandfather made it fairly clear that she was not family, even though he would still hold on to his grudge.”

Lucien nearly broke out in cold sweat, and was relieved when Sera just smiled in amusement, and placed the black cat toy into Vergil’s lap. “I didn’t care, but maybe I’m a little curious, now. Besides, look at this! This would be a wonderful little addition to our little nest for our son, don’t you think? It’s no lion, but a panther is a fine cousin to a lion.” She giggled. 

It was like magic, Lucien thought. Vergil immediately let up the icy aura, and simply accepted the toy while wrapping an arm about Sera. 

Dante hovered by where Lucien was sitting, as if he were keeping an eye on him: “Well, you probably came here to say _something_. So, what is it?” 

* * *

At the next opportune convening of the Holy Knights, Vergil and Dante found the perfect opportunity to nip a problem in the bud. 

This was an officer’s meeting, and the first one that Sera was not present in since applying for leave. At this point, enough talk had circulated about her condition, and a few people tried and failed to not glance at the twins with fearful curiosity. 

At one side of the room, was the old man Sir Valkyrie. Dante simply lingered behind at the place where he was supposed to stand in waiting for the meeting to start, while Vergil stalked up to where his target was. 

“Sir Valkyrie.”

“Officer Vergil.”

The dichotomy between how they addressed each other was somewhat awkward. Because Vergil did not have a last name known to the public, he was often only addressed by name. Besides that, he didn’t want to be addressed by Sparda or Redgrave. It didn’t feel right to him. 

“I have a message from my wife.” Vergil stated plainly, as if his marital status was a simple state of fact. By Dante’s suggestion, he kept his gloves in his pockets, and sure enough, a few people glanced at his hand to see the ring.

The old knight could only press his mouth to a thin line, and his face paled. 

There was both audacity and reason Vergil was having this announced out in the public, when by all rights this should have been a message delivered in private. But Sir Valkyrie did not keep his nose out of what was supposed to be Sera’s, and by proxy, Vergil’s, privacy. So he would not afford that to the old man:

“Seraphina _Valkyrie_ is not _yours_ to judge. You relinquished all right to that, when you disowned your daughter. You never loved her, any more than you loved your own son, or your grandson. But Sera is _not yours._ And neither will my son be subject to your judgement. So, if I may suggest, perhaps you ought to consider resting your elderly bones and your frost-bitten heart, and cease with your foolish jealousy. If I hear another word, _another accusation_ , that my wife is improper, remember that such an accusation would be an accusation on _my honor_. Have I made myself clear?”

Clear as it may be, the old knight refused to say anything. Perhaps he was too scared to. Or perhaps he had some manner of false bravado. Or perhaps he had finally gone senile. 

But that was fine. With this having been said in front of so many people, the implications were clear: There was no room for argument. So, Vergil continued: 

“Incidentally, if you still have it in you to do so, you owe what’s left of your family an apology. You sent away your daughter, and left your son a lifetime of guilt, believing that he was a poor older brother to a sister he can now never apologize to. Beyond that, you treat your grandson as a pawn to bear your expectations, when his father couldn’t fulfill them. I would not expect you to understand, but it would displease Sera greatly if you continued to take out your own guilt on them.”

“You--!” He started, but Vergil cut him off:

“This is not a negotiation. I have little I want, beyond the safety and happiness of my family, and my home. Fortuna has no room for people who will spit in the face of love, which is supposed to be the light and hope of humanity. Or would you like to turn your back against the very treasure of humanity that The Saviour protected? Then let me make this clear: I will not have that. Not here, upon my father’s legacy. Is there not a belief that blasphemy would be struck down by your god?” The temperature in the room seemed to heat up, and something in the air crackled. 

Should anyone have looked, Vergil’s eyes glowed an electric blue, and his pupils have turned into slits. 

“Become a monster that would turn its back on love, and you will relinquish what makes you human. And monsters who cannot love, can be introduced to the judgement of my blade. This I promise, on my name, as _Vergil Sparda_.”

* * *

After a commotion like that, Vergil almost felt a little _too_ pleased with himself when the old knight finally retired from his position. He could only claim fatigue in old age, when everyone knew that he simply could not remain among the knights after Vergil all but called for an execution. 

Leo had sighed after the incident, and asked Vergil: “Will you be making a habit of this? I understand that, if you or your brother really wanted something, there is no stopping you. But if being a patrolling officer isn’t enough for you…”

“I have no interest in actually lording over this city, Leo. The safety of my home is good enough.”

Besides, now that there was no question as to Sera’s integrity, people were less inclined to whisper in uncertainty about her. 

In fact, there was now a nice number of people who were more willing to approach her, even with Vergil present. He tried his best to not act so detached or fierce, and as time went on, he managed to get used to the two of them being approached. 

Most of the citizens that wanted to approach were women, who wanted to congratulate them. Quite a few would profess to Sera how she was actually admired, for dealing with all the bad rumors for years, or for being an accomplished knight. 

And pretty soon, people also started bringing them gifts for the baby. Vergil had seen this happen before, with Leo and Nova. The Supreme General was very adored among the populace. But he never expected this to happen to him. 

The nursery now had a collection of toys, and he supposed they didn’t need to go shopping for more than half of the supplies needed to take care of a child, now. And that’s not counting what Nova had already handed them. 

Among the toys, there were many that Vergil thought were very nice additions to the “nest.” 

Dante had searched high and low for a black wolf and a black bird of some sort, bringing basically the toy-equivalents of Nowell and Lenore to Vergil. “We grew up with mom’s familiars at our side. Seemed kinda cute, you know, to try and continue that, even if it’s with toys.”

Those two toys were placed with the black kitty that Lucien had given them. 

Nova had sewn something handmade for them. During that time, Sera was trying to learn how to sew better with her. Despite being proficient with the rapier or the whip, Sera rarely actually did needlework. While she learned how to stitch wards (into a soft black cloth that would become a very comfortable blanket), Nova asked Credo: “What kind of toy should we give to your Aunty Sera’s baby?”

At the time Credo had begun to discover an interest in marine-life. The immediate suggestion was: “A shark!”

So, added to the pile of toys, would be a hand-sewn shark. Eventually, Credo went to an aquarium, and excitedly bugged Leo into buying all sorts of soft toys from the gift shop. Many of which went to Kyrie, but now there were even _more_ shark plushies, and a manta ray, added to the pile for Aunty Sera’s new baby. 

But the best gift among the pile, was the one that Eva made:

A (somehow) adorable toddler-sized plush…

Of Sparda. 

Even Vergil and Dante had no memory or impression of their father’s devilish form. The plush of the Legendary Dark Knight was somehow absolutely adorable, with leathery wings that looked like a cape. A child could definitely snuggle into it and feel like they were being embraced by a large soft toy. 

Eva had even incorporated some wards into the toy, charged with magic. It would, on some levels, add an extra layer of protection for the child it’s meant to be given to. 

Vergil stared at the plush for a long while, before tears actually began to well up in his eyes. “Thank you, mother.” He then repeated it, thanking her many times over. 

Behind Eva, Dante was even trying to hide his face. He was also crying, for slightly different emotional reasons. 

Sera placed the Sparda plush in the center of all the toys. Like a general with his faithful soldiers of plush animals, he will watch over the nursery and its future occupant. 

[ ](https://blooddrop-palace.tumblr.com/post/622356122593116160)

* * *

They settled on a name: Nero. 

With the weeks going by, Sera was already beginning to feel like she was running out of room for the baby. Of course, this being her first pregnancy, she had no way of being accustomed to how much her belly was growing. And their little one was an active kicker and puncher. 

She really shouldn’t have expected anything different, however. On one hand, it pleased her. On the other hand…

Their son was already giving her a bit of grief. He was most restless when Vergil wasn’t home. And excited every time he sensed Vergil’s presence. But Sera will bear through the activity. Vergil had become adept at soothing the little one, and the action always melted Sera’s heart. 

While little Nero had been reacting to his father and uncle’s demonic auras for a long while, Sera was also beginning to suspect that he recognized voices. At the very least, there were times where Vergil would speak to them, and the babe would react. Sometimes, before bed, if Nero was being particularly obstinate about going to sleep with mama, Vergil would play a familiar tune on the violin, and their little one would finally calm down. 

At 27 weeks, towards the end of December, she was over halfway through with the pregnancy. In just about three more months, she would have Nero in her arms. 

They had most everything they needed already, and Sera was becoming a little less inclined to leave the comfort of her bed. Vergil found no issue with this, and stayed in their bedroom with her when she needed him, and brought her whatever she needed when he was available to. 

Though this wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary behaviour, Eva had smiled fondly when she was told of this, and said: “It’s like nesting. It’s something I did, too. Spencer would, in fact, insist that I stay within the confines of pillows and blankets. Sometimes I even got a little restless.”

* * *

The end of December, meant New Years Eve. 

Dante stood at the docks in his Knight’s uniform, waiting for the ferry to arrive. 

He was absolutely excited to meet Kassy. 

As people started to leave the ferry, he easily picked out the young woman from the crowd: rich dark brown hair that was wavy and curled at the ends, and a tanned complexion with a golden undertone in her skin. Though he was too far to see at the moment, he knew from photographs that her doll-like eyes were a bright violet; a demonic trait she inherited, he knew. 

Two of the ferry crew workers were carrying a sealed wooden crate behind her. She walked off the ramp briskly, clearly excited to meet him, also. 

“Dante!” She exclaimed with a voice that was sweet as honey and also clear as bells. As she stopped in front of him, Dante’s head was reeling from everything he was seeing. 

He had seen photographs of her, yes. But something about “the real deal” was overwhelming. Mostly, because Kassandra King was dressed in something a little bit more revealing than the holiday and birthday photos showed. 

She had on a black peony-patterned short-skirted qi-pao that had a chest window which showed her cleavage in full. He knew that she was very well-endowed, but the view _he_ got from being the height he was, was different from the angle of a camera. Not only that, but the slits of her dress almost went up to her hips, and she had on these entirely sinful laced stockings that were definitely held up by garters. At this point, there was no point in admiring what kind of shoes she wore; she had too much else going on, and that included all eight enchanted rings on her fingers. 

He had several things he wanted to say, as he opened his mouth, closed it, re-thought his words, and tried again. Somewhere behind him, he heard someone gasp, probably in reaction to Kassy’s attire. 

No one in Fortuna dressed like that. Even Sera was conservative, despite not being able to cover all of her arms. 

He couldn’t find words beyond stammering: “H-hey. Kassy!”

Kassy stared up at him, and suddenly he realized, _holy shit,_ she was barely 160 cm [5’3”]. He had a whole 30cm [1’] of height on her. Sure, it wasn’t like everyone in Fortuna was tall, but Kassy, standing before him like this, was a whole entire package of sexy-adorable. And Dante’s brain was stalling, hard. 

“Oh, wow! You are _tall_.” She giggled. “ _Heavens_ you’re tall. It’s hard to tell from the photos.”

He didn’t think the appropriate response here would be to tell her how petite she looked, and simply responded: “Yeah, uh, family trait, I think.”

Her eyes widened, and he wasn’t certain how to read the expression she showed. It was something like admiration. 

“Is there something on my face?” He asked. 

She shook her head. “No. It’s just so strangely wonderful to hear your voice! We’ve never spoken before!”

She’s right! They hadn't! Whoa!

Without him noticing, the crate that came with Kassy had been set down behind her, and as the helpers left, one of the mainland ferry-crewman snickered, and said to his co-worker: “Kid looks like he’s never seen a boob window before.”

Dante heard that. Kassy clearly heard it, too, and tilted her head, then glanced around to see what the other Fortunans wore. “Oh! Oh, no, is this not acceptable attire, here? Oh… but I don’t own a lot of things that aren’t…”

“You’re fine! Uh, it’s okay, it’s just… it’s not like you’re naked or anything! But, uh…” Dante started taking off his uniform coat. He didn’t have to think much about the action; he used to lend it to Sera all the time, after all. And he draped it over Kassy’s shoulders. The coat touched the ground, with how short she was, but that’s okay. It can always be cleaned. 

“Oh! Thank you!” She beamed, and pulled her arms through its sleeves. “I’m sorry, I’ll try to keep a coat on, from now on, when I’m out and about your city. But how about you lead the way?” She then reached over, and simply picked up the large crate by the straps that made a handle at the top. 

Something like that was easily within the limits of what Dante could hold, and he shouldn’t be surprised that Kassy, a part-demon whose abilities have been enhanced by a special contract, could pick it up. But he also knew that such a crate shouldn’t be something a normal human could pick up.

And right now, he didn’t want the entire city seeing her perform such a feat. 

“Wait! Let me take care of that.” He received it from her. “City knows who I am, but not what you are.” He whispered. “Besides, I’d look bad as a host, making my guest carry her own luggage like that.”

“Okay! Thank you, Dante!”

“You don’t have to thank me. Aren’t you the one here, bearing gifts to Vergil and Sera? Hey, uh, about that… you’re not going to actually get on his case again, are you?”

Kassy gave him a coy smile and stuck out her tongue. “I’ll be nice! Roy said I’m not allowed to be mean to his friend!”

“Good, good. Don’t get me wrong, though. Verge can be an ass sometimes, and you know it. If he starts to actually be mean, just tell it to him straight.”

“Well, sounds like a typical big brother, to me!” Kassy laughed. Dante knew what she was going to say, because they had said it before in letters. Hearing it though, was something else. “And I should know! I have two!”

The next few days or weeks, however long Kassy wanted to stay for, was going to be very interesting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Fanart done by yours truly! Clicking on it should get you to my tumblr, with more flavor text about her.  
> \- Alternate summary to this entire fic ought to be “and Dante and Vergil get to have one big happy family that they deserve.”  
> \- I miss having a constructive way to use my second language, and this is what I’m going to do with it.  
> \- Note that I have not used the language in a long time also.  
> \- Is it possible to only learn a language through writing? If you’re a Son of Sparda, you can be self taught on a lot of things… that’s what I think haha. Because I doubt old books on hell are only written in English.  
> \- Calling someone a “fairy” in Chinese can be like calling someone an “angel” in English. It means you are “from heaven” and that you are “divine.”  
> \- I don’t know if maybe it was the way I grew up or if it’s really a culture thing, but eggs are cute. (And yummy! I eat them plain and hard boiled!) But Kassy is absolutely also calling Dante “young” as in “can be childish.” As if she isn’t that way herself.  
> \- There is… a very big “holy shit” situation going on with Lucien’s family. But I decided those details weren't exactly needed for this story. Just know that, I have a very detailed outline on what the Valkyrie family’s mess is.  
> \- I don’t think Christmas as we know it is a holiday that Forutna cares about. Instead, I’ll be putting an emphasis on the New Year. :)


	9. Baby Lion or Baby Shark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kassy brought five very useful gifts for Sera and Vergil, some of it relating to their impending "little nestling."
> 
> Dante was finding Kassy to be a very refreshing and interesting person. It's a shame she wasn't staying long this time. 
> 
> Meanwhile, roses bloom in the background as the "nest" finally gets to have it's little occupant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case some of you didn’t already see, about a day after posting the previous chapter, I added a new piece of artwork in it! It’s a picture of Plushie Sparda!

Kassy seemed to be pretty impressed by Fortuna. Her eyes scanned everything about them curiously, as she made sure to pull Dante’s white uniform coat close to her body.

She was definitely more concerned about offending someone than she was about her own modesty. Dante also noted that he couldn’t actually feel much of a demonic presence from her, but he knew from their letter exchanges that she had the gift of stealth. 

It was agreed that the first stop would be to see Vergil and Sera. But Dante wondered if maybe that would be rushing things a little. She only just got here, and she’s more than a delivery girl. She’s a friend. 

“Have you eaten anything yet?” He asked. 

“No. Nothing was open before the early morning ferry.” Kassy responded simply. 

“Here, let’s stop by this pastry shop on the way…” He led her towards the marketplace, first. They would have to go through it regardless to get to Sera and Vergil’s apartment. (He still wasn’t sure how he felt about Vergil moving out. It’s been a little while. He’s not used to the emptiness in the bedroom beside his…)

Dante wracked his brain, trying to remember what he knew about Kassy. She had written before about cooking. She seemed to do all sorts of cooking, and sometimes spoke about baking and sweets. So he thought this wouldn’t be a bad choice. Upon getting close to the bakery storefront, the middle-aged shopkeep noticed him from behind the open counters:

“Dante! Good morning! It’s rare to see you so early!”

“Good morning, Miss Violet.” He stopped by often mid-morning to about noontime for something sweet. Setting down the crate he was carrying for Kassy, he prepared to make an order. But the shopkeep was curious about the young girl standing nervously beside him. 

“And good morning to you, young miss.” Said Miss Violet to the visitor. It was easy to notice strangers in the city. Kassy was also clearly foreign, and even her curtsy was done differently, though the meaning of the gesture wasn’t lost. 

“Good morning, Miss.” Kassy responded. 

“Oh my, did something happen?” Violet gave the girl a lookover, noticing that she had Dante’s coat. 

“Oh, um… I came here from the south. It never gets this cold down there… but I didn’t pack the right clothes for this season…” She explained. Though a lie, Dante knew it wasn’t completely a lie, either. 

“Kassandra is a friend of mine.” Dante then explained. “She has gifts for my brother and Sera.” 

Violet nodded and took all explanations with a content smile. “Why, welcome to Fortuna then, Miss Kassandra. And what can I get fresh for the two of you, on this fine morning?”

“You like strawberry?” Dante asked Kassy.

“I love baked goods and fruit, if that answers your question.” She smiled. 

“Two of the usual, then!”

And Violet served them each a strawberry cheese danish. The rest of the way to the apartment, Kassy enjoyed her warm treat with delight. “This is lovely! Thank you! I would be happy to also share with you food in some way. Perhaps if your mother would allow me to borrow the kitchen at some point?”

“Hey, now, you’re our guest. You don’t have to cook for us or anything.”

“Ah, but… it’s not a problem. I like to cook. And…”

He could tell that she was somewhat nervous. It was cute, really. He’s seen a lot of bashful girls around the city, but somehow, this being Kassy, the nervous energy was cuter than he’d thought. He supposed, in a letter, it was hard to truly know what she was like. Now that he’s getting a chance to know her in person, he wondered if this would add a certain amount of depth to the future letters he would get from her. 

“It’s fine. We’ll ask my mom later about that, okay? You have time. It doesn’t have to be today.” He knew that cooking was somewhat important to her. Apparently, Lance taught her. She had mentioned once before that they had a few cookbooks from other places of the world, which his dad of all people had sent to them. 

Oh. Maybe that was why she wanted to cook for them? Kassy had asked him, once, about his dad. Dante had a hard time writing that response, and settled for telling her simply:  _ I’m sad he’s not with us. Legendary Dark Knight or not, I’m sad and mad about him being gone. And when I see him again, I’m going to punch him for making mom and Verge sad. _

When they neared the apartment, he suddenly noticed that Kassy’s presence beside him faded. He glanced over, and she was definitely there. But she looked nervous again, and even sidled up closer to him almost as if she were hiding behind him. 

“Oh, I had forgotten…” She whispered. 

“What’s wrong?” He felt concerned. 

“Your brother. Vergil is still half-devil. I’m unsure of how to approach him, especially in this area of territory where he would be very protective of his mate.” She answered softly. 

Dante’s brain took a moment to catch up on this. He had never noticed anything before. But then he realized, Kassy was an outsider, and she was reacting as an outsider. Dante was family to Vergil, and vice versa. Though he had noticed how Vergil was becoming more guarded of his general vicinity, as his brother, Dante suddenly realized how much he was trusted. 

He never thought that maybe he was just accustomed to Vergil’s “aura of existence.” Kassy was definitely sensing the devil in the area…

“Hey, don’t worry. I’m here with you. I can assure you, I’m every bit as strong as Vergil. And you’re not scared of me, are you?”

She blinked up at him. “No, but you’re not the one who is geared to be overprotective right now.”

So he just smiled and patted her on the back. “It’s going to be fine. Loosen up. Probably for the best if you don’t overly hide your presence. He doesn’t like it when people are not straightforward, believe it or not. Besides, our mom’s going to be there. And I’ll be there. More than that, Sera’s there. She won’t let Vergil do anything stupid.” And he said that with the utmost confidence. 

Kassy adjusted his coat about her body, pulling the sleeves up her arms a little since they were too long, and then pulled the coat tight about her body as if it were an extra layer of protection against what was to come. 

“My family is looking forward to meeting you.” He put out there for extra measure. 

She smiled shyly. “Lead the way, please?”

The door was unlocked, and he knew this. Just from outside, he could hear his mother speaking with Vergil and Sera:

“Lance often tells me she’s a sweet girl. Even if she hadn’t volunteered, I think he would have sent her regardless. He said he’s afraid one of the boys might make you angry just for being around.”

Just as Dante was opening the door, he noticed that Vergil was already staring at the door as his older twin responded to their mom: “I believe I have better self control than that. But besides that, Roy already requested that I wouldn’t give his baby sister a hard time.”

Vergil’s humor is often cold and dry, but it was spoken as a preemptive offer: that he would play nice. And Dante wouldn’t doubt it. After all, Vergil had his honour. 

“Hey! Hope we’re not late to the party!” Dante simply said as he stepped inside with long strides and the crate. He set the crate down at the living room by the loveseat, while Kassy kindly closed the door behind them. 

She nervously bowed, and said: “Good morning! It’s nice to finally meet all of you. Umm… Should I…” She glanced up nervously, forcing herself to lock eyes with Vergil. “...How should I greet all of you?”

Dante thought the question was a little odd. But his mother seemed to know exactly what was plaguing the poor girl. She beckoned at Kassy, and told her: “There’s no need to be formal at all. You’re here as a friend, and you can be as casual as one. Oh, you have Dante’s coat…” She then noted. 

“I’m afraid I didn’t realize how conservative the people dress here. Everything I own shows skin…”

Eva seemed thoughtful. “I’ve seen your photos. You’re not wearing too much less than usual, are you?” Standing up, she gently asked: “I’m not entirely with the rest of the population on how conservative people need to be. I can tell you if it’s too much?”

Kassy blinked, and then loosened how she was covering herself with his coat, showing how her dress showed her cleavage. She even dropped the coat just enough to show her shoulders, and glancing down, it was hard not to notice the short skirt, the high slits, and the lace stockings. 

“...Well, this isn’t the most scandalous kind of thing in the world. If you have anything with a longer skirt, and a way to cover your shoulders, you might get a bit less gawking out on the streets. But here, you’re free to leave the coat on the coat rack so you can be more comfortable.”

But Kassy seemed to think about it for a moment, and seemed reluctant to take the coat off.

Vergil then said, in a manner that might have been teasing: “You are also free to leave my brother’s coat on, if it brings you a feeling of safety. How strange it is to find you so nervous, when just a few months ago you had the courage to write a chastising letter.”

The girl immediately blushed, and stammered: “I was concerned about my brother’s feelings! It was not an easy letter to write!”

And then Sera, with a measure of amusement, brought the conversation back on track: “I’m sure you’re a little out of your element. Fortuna must be very different from where you grew up. But it’s very nice to meet you, Kassandra! I’ve heard a lot about you from Dante! Come on, there's plenty of seating in the living room!”

While there was enough seating, the only open seat was the loveseat. Eva had a chair to herself, and Vergil and Sera were on the longer couch. Seeing as Kassy was a bit like a fish out of water, instead of sitting down, Dante simply went to stand behind the loveseat and leaned forward against the backrest, and patted the seat in front to the side: “Come on. Get comfy. And proper introductions! That’s Sera! Of course the one that looks like me is Vergil. But I’m the better looking twin.” He joked, and Kassy finally giggled, and cut in: 

“You’re so silly. You're identical, aren’t you?”

Of course they were. But they were individually different. Dante just loves to make the joke. It makes Vergil exasperated. He didn’t say it this time, but Dante could already hear his twin’s voice:  _ Foolishness, Dante. _

And Dante continued: “And that’s our mom.”

Eva smiles kindly at Kassy and tells her: “You can call me Eva.”

Trying to become more relaxed, Kassy finally sat down at where Dante offered, exchanged a round of casual “nice to meet you” with everyone, and nervously ran a finger over the patterns at the top of the crate. But before opening it, she noticed the metal that was on Sera’s arms, and stared for a moment before asking: “Those, are those Devil Arms?”

“Ah…” Sera looked down at her hands briefly. “Yes. I had a bit of an incident a few years back, and these became a permanent fixture.”

“Dante had said you were attacked by snake-devils. But it’s more than that, isn’t it? You now have their power. I’m sure it didn’t come easy, since I was told you were hospitalized. But… You’re very strong, and I would even say you’re blessed. Twin snakes are analogous to dragons in East Asian. It’s like being given a gift from a battle-god. You’re amazing.” Kassy praised with wonder. 

Sera blushed. It was a rare sight, as far as Dante was concerned. 

Seeing that she had flustered her a little, Kassy ducked her head a bit in apology, and undid the seal to the crate. Lifting the lid, she then continued: “We spent some time putting together things that would make good gifts. Lance thought that there were a few things in the treasury that would be better in your hands. Here…” From the crate, she first pulled out what looked to be a bolt of silk. 

From the moment the lid was opened, Dante noticed the feeling of something demonic from within the crate. A mixture of energies inlaid withins certain items. And the bolt of silk was not exempt. 

Kassy got up to hand the bolt of silk to Vergil. The moment he received it, his eyes widened. “This silk…”

“Is familiar to you, yes?” Kassy asked tentatively as she sat back down. 

“There is demonic power woven into it. Something familiar, and something unfamiliar. The familiar power feels the same as the power woven into the castle, and into the hellgate here. Is this…?” 

At Vergil’s observation, even Dante felt curious. He leaned forward more, over the back of the loveseat, but of course he was nowhere near the couch Vergil and Sera were sitting at. 

“Taking power and weaving it into silk is something Lance is capable of. Many of my clothes and the inner lining to my coats are lined with silk made by him. It offers an extra layer of protection, and takes to magical repairs better. But this bolt of silk was something made from a gift Sparda had given him, a long time ago…”

She didn’t need to explain why this was being given to them. Vergil ran his fingers down the thin but clearly durable silk. “This is something precious, I can tell.” Briefly, Vergil glanced up at Eva. “I do not believe devils give power so freely. For power to have been given, and for Lance to return it…”

“Even devils can grow sentiment. Some go mad from it. Some learn how to become better from it. Lance loves family. And I think he sees Sparda with a lot of sentiment, too.” Kassy explained. 

Dante found this very fascinating. “Dad has friends, huh. At least, a friend. I mean, We knew about Lance for a while, but not really… much about him and Sparda’s connection. Mom?” He glanced across the room at her. 

Eva could only answer simply: “Only as much as I’ve told you. Your father knew him for a long time. They were once enemies, because Sparda once served Mundus. Circumstances changed, and after your father sealed off the path between the two worlds, he one day found that Lance, then Aegis, accidentally trapped himself in the human world.” There was a moment of fondness in her eyes. “Spencer had told me a little about Lance before. His longest friend, though their meetings were sparse.”

Kassy picked up where Eva left off: “I… could tell some stories, someday, Things Lance had told us.” She smiled shyly. “All of us nestlings grow up hearing a different kind of story about the Legendary Dark Knight. We hear about his heroics, yes. But we also get to hear about his visits, and his gifts. That was one of Lance’s demands, to guard that gate. That Sparda must bring him offerings… though he demanded what devils would consider as very mundane offerings. But Lance… Aegis of the Lance and Shield, he was never a normal devil, after all.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sera asked. 

“Aegis was first crowned by the name of Overion, given to him by the devil that created him: The Hive Queen Cerentine. Sparda was not the first devil to let mortal love blossom in his heart. To love in mortal terms means to also learn when to let go. That there is a definite end to everything.”

Kassy’s story was very compelling, and though she was here to bear gifts to the newlyweds, everyone was interested in the story she was telling.

“And when the Hive Queen’s mortal lover died, she created for herself a King, from the corpse of her beloved, with the memories she had of him. She knew that her King would not be her first love, but instead he would be her first love’s last wish: to offer protection with every little bit of power he had. So she created her new King in his image, and groomed him to be the Hive’s greatest protector.” 

She then smiled with a blush, hands clasped in front of her like any young woman telling a beautiful and romantic story: “There was more to the intricacies of the Queen and her lover, but Lance himself was created to protect her family, which was also his family. Created to raise warriors and nurture them. It is why he cannot live with an empty nest, and why he is now so invested in your life. Lance was created to adore the generations. His only friend’s children are no exception. So, this silk which he spun from the first offering Sparda gave him, is being offered back to you and your new family, Vergil.”

There was definitely something very surreal about all of this, and Dante had to admit: he thought all the things about Fortuna was about the only proper history he’d have about his old man, though much of the legends were clearly exaggerated or simply rumors turned legends. But Fortuna as a city was clearly a piece of history left by his dad. 

Yet here, Kassy was giving them something even more tangible as proof of his old man having been a long-living devil. A sweeter proof than the enemies that tried to kill his family; maybe even sweeter than the physical proof of the devil’s blood that runs through his and Vergil’s veins.

And finally, Vergil responded: “The gifts from your family will be much appreciated. You did write saying that we are not allowed to refuse them.” He then said to Sera: “This would be perfect, for when we have your uniform re-tailored, among other things.”

“But this is… are you sure you would—”

“It’s a gift to us both. I would be a fool to not share this with you.” He said that with finality as he set the silk against the armrest of the couch. 

While Sera smiled and said something about inlaying some of the silk into the blanket she was stitching together, Kassy went back to the crate. Reaching into a crate again, she brought out a thin journal. “We understand that Lady Eva understands the occult and of magical practices, but Lance wasn’t sure exactly what was in her repertoire.” She had also seemed to have forgotten how Eva gave her permission to be casual. Handing the book over to Sera and for her to pass it to Vergil, she explained: “It’s a copy of notes selected from the collection Lance made, used to teach us about warding and inlaid spells of protection. Much of the magic is woven into the silk in our clothes, which makes repairing and maintaining clothing among other things easier. Things of this world are often very fragile, after all.”

As Vergil flipped through the material with interest, the next set of books Kassy brought out were tentatively placed on the coffee table, instead of being handed to Sera or Vergil. 

“These, um… were added among the gifts with a message from Lance. And as the saying goes, don’t shoot the messenger. But he said, Vergil, that he hopes that you might learn how to be better in the kitchen than your father was.” 

Vergil glanced up from the first book and narrowed his eyes at her, while Dante and Eva immediately thought back to the days where Spencer, the almighty “Legendary Dark Knight Sparda,” would slay the kitchen in the worst possible way, and became relegated to only ingredient prep. Though, now that Dante thought about it, Vergil himself also ever only assisted, and never actually did the cooking. 

Sera must have been told at some point, by Vergil, about Spencer’s lack of culinary skills. She smiled, and reached forward towards the coffee table. But reaching the books would have taken more effort than it was comfortable for her. Vergil immediately reached forward for her and handed her the top book. 

_ Ah,  _ Dante thought,  _ just like when mom can’t reach something up too high… _

Just for a moment, he missed those fading memories of their childhood. But that was a time long gone, wasn’t it? Hell, he didn’t feel grown up at all, and here his brother and his best friend were going to have a kid soon. 

He was shaken out of his thoughts as Sera said: “I’m not a high-grade cook in the kitchen, either, but I do have more incentive to learn. Maybe we could both find things to learn from this.”

Though Kassy did say to “don’t shoot the messenger,” the slight upturn of the corner of Vergil’s mouth and the amused gaze he shot back at their guest showed that he was going to take it up with her, first: “I’m sure I’ll put these to good use. Roy had written to me once that you are an  _ exceptional _ cook. Perhaps you would stay long enough for me to prove my mettle.”

Dante internally groaned, and was about to tell Kassy she didn’t need to take Vergil’s love for a challenge to heart, but as he glanced over, Kassy had momentarily shed her unsure nervousness. 

“Why, I know a challenge when I hear one. I’ll be looking forward to what you’ll show me, then.”

Though the change in demeanor was unexpected, it warmed the atmosphere a lot more. Suddenly, Kassy seemed more comfortable, as if the presentation of a challenge was an agreement that gave her even ground to speak with Vergil on. Sera, also a soul made of flame and resilience, preferred this kind of interaction more:

“Just be careful to not overdo it, and leave me some room in this, too.” She laughed. 

Smiling with her, Kassy turned to reach into the crate, and pulled out three pelts of fur that had an obvious demonic scent to them. The pelts had clearly been carefully tanned and cleaned. 

“Chimera pelts. A specific kind of chimera that blends into surroundings by matching its scent with its surroundings. I tried to remind him that Seraphina is human but he insists that even a human mother would benefit from this. It’s, um… If you hold it for a little while and charge it with a bit of power, it will match your scent.”

As she explained this to Vergil, Eva understood what Kassy was explaining: “It’s for nesting. The instinct wasn’t very strong in me, but Spencer would try to surround me with coats and shirts of his, and stay in bed with me for as long as he could.”

Reflective of this, Vergil received them, and nodded. 

Sera was thoughtful. “This is actually… a very comforting thought.” She reached over and ran her hand through one of the pelts. “And it’s surprisingly soft. I like it.”

Dante almost laughed when Vergil had a wry smile on his face and said: “It would be more preferable than you holding my coat hostage.”

Pleased at this response, Kassy stood up. “There is one last item. I would say this is the most important gift.” And from the crate, she gently lifted a sword. 

It was a katana, the same type of sword as the Yamato, but significantly shorter and smaller. For whatever reason, at the sight of this, Dante was compelled to stop leaning forward languidly on the back of the loveseat. He straightened up, and kept his eyes curiously on the sword in Kassy’s hands. 

The was a paper seal keeping the sword from being drawn. The sword was also missing a sageo: the sash. 

Kassy presented it properly to Vergil, with the sword laid out in both of her open palms: “The main reason we waited a few months, before bearing gifts, was because Lance commissioned this from a Japanese smith the moment he heard of your good news. It, of course, comes with a message, and an explanation.

“No kin of Sparda should go without a weapon, and a proper sword is owed to the firstborn of this legacy. But Sparda’s blades were created from power honed through millenia, and were no easy inheritances to give, as they were forged by splitting his very own power. 

“But this katana is no ordinary blade of human make. Long ago, there were humans who knew of devils and beings from beyond. Though rare and now rarer still, demonic weaponsmiths still exist. This is a blade that, once infused with the power of its rightful wielder, will become something special, just for them. It is made to endure, and to slay creatures tougher than your normal human mettle.”

Vergil did not immediately take the sword from her. “This is…”

Sera finished the thought: “For Nero?”

Kassy smiled warmly. “Yes. When he turns twelve, give this to him, and have him undo the seal. By sharing with the blade his power, it will change for him. It’s also a spelled sword. This is not its original size. Once unsealed, the magic will slowly adjust the sword towards its original make as your child grows. Oh, we intentionally left out the sageo, though. We thought you may want to handle that with your own personal touch.”

As Vergil grasped the offered weapon with gratitude that is rarely shown, Dante couldn’t help but smile. 

He supposed they would all inevitably be a family of swordsmen. A proper sword for the little tyke already… a katana, to boot. It was perfect. After all, on a technicality, the Yamato would rightfully be the inheritance for little Nero in the future, wouldn’t it?

* * *

Due to time difference, and Kassy being mostly nocturnal, she was getting really tired by the end of their exchanges. She seemed to have taken a great liking to Sera, and promised her that on the next day they’ll have a bit of time to chat. 

But for the remainder of the day, Dante and Eva showed Kassy to the castle (by way of Vergil’s generous portal with the Yamato.) 

The guest room that Eva had set up for Kassy was down on the far end of the hall. His and Vergil’s childhood bedroom, which was at one end of the hall closest to the master bedroom, was still there. Repainting and repurposing the room was a hassle that wasn’t worth it when they finally needed their separate rooms, and so they moved more towards the middle of the hall, with their rooms being adjacent. Now, it was just Dante in the middle of the hall. Vergil’s room was still there, but emptied of a lot of his personal items. 

Dante’s shift was going to be overnight, so while Kassy took her nap in her guest room, he went to the kitchen to find something more to nibble on. Eva was already there, preparing tea. 

A question was on the surface of his mind, as he rummaged through the fridge for something. (Routing electricity to this old castle was a feat that he was grateful for.) “Hey, mom? Was it hard, back then?”

“In regards to…?” She asked as she set her tea set on a tray.

“When it was just all. All of us. You, dad, me, Vergil… it was a long time ago, but we rarely had guests. Rarely went out into town. Was it hard?”

He found himself the ice cream he was looking for, and while he had the small cup of ice cream in one hand, he easily picked up the tray with the teapot and teacups with his other hand. Eva hummed in thought as she led the way to a sitting room. 

“We didn’t mind the solitude. It was what we preferred. But I will admit, in the long term, it might not have been the best if we had kept you boys isolated from the world. Was it hard? I wouldn’t call it that. But I understand what you’re thinking.” As she sat down in one chair while Dante set the tray down at the side table, she poured out a cup of tea for herself, and told him: 

“It’s different. But that doesn’t make what we had in the past to be something lesser, or something bad. I am very happy, however, that the time and place we are in now is a place that can give you boys support. That you can have more than just a house to call home, but a society to call home, too.”

He had to admit, that was a satisfying thought, and so he nodded and started to dig into his sweet treat. 

And then Eva asked: “What do you plan for, while Kassandra is here, by the way? You two had never met face-to-face before, and I’m sure she’d appreciate something more than running a single delivery errand.”

“Well… when we last wrote about this, she mentioned that though she could leave her island to go about Hong Kong, she didn’t have friends to go out with. She’s still kind of wary of that witch girl, too, though I think she’s getting used to her presence.” He thought about it over his ice cream. “I said I’d show her around. But, I’m not sure yet. Kassy is… different. I don’t know if everything I do when hanging out with Sera would be just as interesting to Kassy.”

“Hmmm…” Eva thought about it as she finished her first cup of tea. “How about something simple to start? Lunch and the aquarium?”

Dante paused before putting another spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. “Uh.” He gave it brief thought, and blurted: “Isn’t that more of a date thing?”

“Is it? Hanging out on rooftops with Sera, and having lunch with her on the regular, are all very date-like, too. Or is this different, because it’s Kassandra?”

He noticed that his mother had this  _ look _ again. This look that said she was both teasing him and trying to infer something. 

“I don’t know. Back then, it was more like I followed Sera’s lead. And then it became habit. But, uh, lunch and the aquarium? Yeah that’s probably a good start.”

* * *

Half-devils didn’t need a lot of sleep. But Kassy, being only part-devil in some unknown percentage, needed more sleep. Either that, or she enjoyed sleep. And Dante would 100% agree that regular sleep is pretty damn relaxing. 

There was a time, once, when he was afraid to sleep. Afraid to close his eyes and see the fire and hear the screams and feel the pain again. But slowly, with his family, he distanced himself from his nightmares, and became more at ease. After the scare with Sera and the snake-demons, however, he did learn to hold the needed amount of alertness. But as he and Vergil cleared out demons and devils that dared to encroach on their shared territory, their home, Dante began to feel like life was going to be okay. 

He may seem carefree, but he actually took his patrols as seriously as Vergil. After dinner, Dante bid his mother good night, and got ready for his shift. Kassy asked:

“Would it be fine if I came with you? I promise I won’t get in the way of your work. I’m a prowler, as you know. You can show me the sights in a way, if I can come with you.”

Though civilians shouldn’t be tagging along, Kassy wasn’t really any normal person. Dante didn’t see the harm in that. Besides, there were very few people who could really tell him no, and if something did happen, he wasn’t one to run from his responsibility.

That night, Dante learned that there was a lot more you could learn from a person, outside of letters. 

Kassy moved like a black cat in the dark. More than that, her ability to turn into shadow and mask her presence made her very hard to track at night. And even with his ability to see in minimal lighting, when she didn’t want to be seen, she couldn’t be seen. 

At one point, they came across a very small band of lesser demons. He made a single off-hand comment of: “How would you approach that?”

And quickly, silently, she picked off one of the demons that was just a little far from the crowd, like a wordless assassin in the dark. In the next instant, she was gone into the shadows, with the demon corpse. The rest of the band of demons didn’t even seem to notice.

Then, she was beside Dante again, demon in hand by the scruff of what could be considered a neck.. 

He’s never seen anything like that, and was speechless for a moment. 

She then smiled cutely, and whispered: “How about you show me what you can do?”

Later, he belatedly asked himself: why did he feel compelled to gather up his kills and show her his work when he was done? They weren’t anything spectacular. He’s sure she wouldn’t find that very impressive. 

It wasn’t the best of thoughts, but he almost wished something a little bigger, more of a challenge, would show up. 

Thankfully, the night remained peaceful. 

* * *

On the next day, in the morning, Vergil received Kassy at the door of his apartment. Dante stopped by to drop her off, and took a moment to ask her “You’ll be okay?” before turning to Vergil and saying: “Be nice to her.” with a lopsided grin. 

“What do you take me for, little brother? Come inside, Kassandra.”

Dante left to get started on his patrol, which had recently become a bit of a lonely affair, though an important one. During his meal break, he stopped by the apartment with pizza. Vergil, of course, gave him a disapproving look regarding the pizza. But Sera was glad to see her best friend, and wouldn’t say no to more food. (He even ordered one specifically for her, with the terrible terrible olives on it.)

As it turns out, Kassy knew a lot about prenatal care and childcare. At least, in regards to part-devils. It helped supplement to the knowledge that Eva, Nova, and Leo were all giving them. Adjacently, Dante picked up a few things here and there.

Kassy had asked Sera a lot of questions about the Ophidian Duet, and eventually suggested for Vergil to give her a bit of his blood every week. “It’s something we practice in our family. It’s somewhat risky, since power is transferred through the blood, and thus can also be taken through blood. But as a part-devil family, we do not fear healthy nestlings becoming stronger than the parent. Lance would say that we create our own culture. Separate from the denizens of Hell, but also different from that of humans.”

The mindset blew Dante away. 

Their own culture, huh?

All his life he kinda just treated himself as some in-between that didn’t belong anywhere. But now, few as they were, Kassy was right. 

They could have their own culture, couldn’t they?

* * *

Later that same day, after he completed his patrol, he picked Kassy up from Vergil and Sera’s place. He had changed out of his uniform to his favorite red coat, and again, because of his mother’s insistence, he made sure to have a shirt on. 

Eva had reminded him to wear one of the  _ nicer _ shirts this time, which Dante couldn’t fathom the point. If she meant something like a button up that Vergil might wear, then forget it! Doesn’t go with his coat, anyway. He grabbed one of the simple black shirts that actually hugged his body, grabbed his weapons that he never leaves without, and left to take Kassy to the aquarium. 

She grew up near a city on a coastline, so tropical fish and the likes weren’t new to her. Not too long during their stroll through the first exhibit, he noticed that Kassy had most of her attention on  _ him _ instead of the displays. 

Kassy had taken Eva’s advice, and wore a longer skirt, and something with sleeves this time. But her top still showed her cleavage, and Dante was embarrassed to say that he was very impressed by how a petite girl like her could have such a body. She even had curves down at the hips. It was hard to not keep admiring her, and he felt like he was completely overstepping boundaries. 

So he nervously scratched the back of his head, and asked: “So, uh… how are you liking it here?”

“It’s fascinating. The architecture is so different, though I’ve seen photos of faraway places before. I’m very happy to be able to meet your family, though. Speaking to people, having conversations… it’s different from writing letters.” 

“So you liked interacting with them?”

“Yes! Seraphina is more than I imagined. She’s like… a battle-ready angel. She’s divine, and strong. She’s very amazing, really.”

Dante found it a little odd that she was so focused on praising Sera. “She is, isn’t she? But you’re pretty awesome yourself, you know. No one here can hide in the shadows and sneak up on enemies the way you do.”

Kassy blinked, and then turned to put her gaze forward, gazing at the fish through the glass. “It’s nothing, really. My brothers are better fighters than I am. It’s their responsibility, too.”

He wasn’t sure where that came from. From what Kassy wrote, her older brothers had a score of hobbies and went out to the city on the regular when they weren’t taking hunting jobs as mercenaries of some sort. Kassy herself rarely took such work, however, though she mentioned something about dancing for a hobby. 

So what did she mean by responsibility?

But he couldn’t find a good way to ask, so he instead changed the topic: “I’m glad you’re getting along with them. I was afraid you and Verge weren’t going to get along or something.”

Kassy smiled. “No. I think everything turned out okay. I just need to be wary of him getting territorial. But otherwise, I’m more happy I got to meet you. Years of writing letters, and now I’m hanging out with you. It’s… something new.”

She blushed a little. He wondered why. But she didn’t really let the topic linger. “Keep showing me around? It’s nice, to walk through a place like this with a friend.”

So they continued through the aquarium. Sometimes, Kassy looked at the exhibits and talked to him about food and cooking. Once in a while, Dante would see something and be reminded of a weird demon or devil and tell her about it. 

At one point, she admitted shyly: “I don’t have a lot of hobbies. I like to cook, and I like it when people try my cooking. Other than that, I take care of the manor with my family and I… I dance at a nightclub in the city.”

He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at that. He had to think a bit to remember that a nightclub was one of those establishments that Fortuna doesn’t officially have, but there was a small section of the city where a lot of stuff the general public don’t condone go on. 

“By dance, do you mean, like, uh… stripping and stuff?”

The blush intensified. “S-sometimes. I do more pole-dancing though.”

Dante honestly wasn’t sure what that was, and Kassy could tell. Embarrassed, she said: “It’s nothing special, but probably not something your city would like to see. So I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

The only context given here told Dante that Kassy stood on the side of “non-conservative behaviour.” And honestly, who was he to judge? He had gathered from his mother that Fortuna was a bit too “up tight.” Kassy didn’t look like she was a bad girl, so where she’s from, what she did couldn’t be that bad, could it?

And a stray thought also told him that he was very curious about the idea of her stripping, and he immediately tried to quash the thought when he could feel the blood rush to his head. Kassy most likely saw how red his face flushed, and giggled as she gently pulled at his hand: “Come on, let’s go take a look at what’s over there.”

Meanwhile, around them, he picked up on just a few broken whispers:

“Is that a mainlander? What is she wearing?”

“She’s hanging closely around Dante… who does she think she is?” A girl whispered. 

“Someone should teach that girl what a proper dress is!”

Towards the last person, which was an older woman, Dante nearly hissed at her. Instead, he gave her a brief glare, and walked over closer to Kassy to put an arm about her shoulders. 

“Is something wrong?” She looked up at him and asked.

“Nothing. Just don’t want to lose you in the crowd.” The easy smile he showed was one he was used to giving. He didn’t think twice about how his behaviour looked. After everything that Sera went though, even if Kassy were only visiting temporarily, he didn’t want her to become the subject of bad gossip. 

His guest was under his protection. He’ll have none of that messy finger pointing, now.

* * *

At the gift shop, Kassy had purchased a giant plush shark to bring to Sera the next day. 

“You’re probably already feeling like it’s hard to sleep at night, so I would recommend a body pillow! This would be perfect!” She told her as she handed her the person-sized soft toy. Sera grinned when she received it. 

“Everyone wants to give us shark-related toys for the baby, and now I’m receiving this wonderful plush shark for my bed. My fierce lion-husband might feel a little jealous!”

Kassy laughed. “Don’t worry, no shark is more fierce than a devil.” She then whispered to Sera: “Besides, Vergil reminds me a bit of a shark. Maybe it’s because I’m from a different place, but lions are more playful creatures where I come from.”

“Playful, huh?” Sera thought about it as she appraised the shark toy. “So in your eyes, Dante fits the description of a lion, more?”

“Hmm… I guess so!”

And then, Sera asked with an overly-curious tone: “Kassandra, do you like lions?”

Kassy never thought about whether or not she liked lions. So she simply said: “Well, lions are strong, but cuddly-looking. So, I think I like lions?”

The way Sera smiled and nodded had Kassy thinking she was asking her a different kind of question, though.

* * *

Eva took a photo of Kassy’s visit, and had the photograph developed in a single day by express services. 

“Lance is always sending us photos of you and your brothers during memorable holidays. Your visit is very memorable, too, isn’t it? Here, take a copy home to him.” Eva told her. 

Eva had seen the opportunity and snapped the photo when Dante was showing Kassy the roses Eva planted in the garden. Both of them only noticed at the last minute when they glanced over at Eva, and now she had this very sweet photo of Dante waving at the camera, and Kassy beside him with a shy smile. 

* * *

After day three, Kassy left for home. 

“I had a great time meeting all of you! Um, if you would like… I can visit again, later? Sera’s due date is towards the end of March, right? I can make sure to bring things for postnatal care after your nestling arrives, and also help if you meet any problems with the child’s condition? Part-devil children are all a little unique from one another…”

Dante had been wondering for a while now, why she used the term “nestling” a lot. He supposed it made some sense, but at the same time, “baby” still fit the description, doesn’t it? Or did Kassy’s family lay eggs or something? No, wait, maybe not something to dwell on. 

Surprisingly, Sera seemed receptive to Kassy’s proffered help: “You should come by again! It’s a shame you aren’t staying longer.”

And Dante had to agree. “Will you be staying longer next visit?” He was really hopeful about it, too. 

“I can!” 

And that was all that was needed for Dante to anticipate the end of March even more. He wasn’t very excited back then when General Leo and Nova had Kyrie to show off, but something about the impending baby being his nephew, with the added bonus of Kassy visiting again? 

He really wanted to take her to his favorite cafe for sundaes next time. 

A few days after seeing her off to the ferry, his mother left a copy of the photo of him and Kassy on his desk. Why she was giving him the second copy, he couldn’t fathom. Wouldn’t she want to put this in that photo album she had?

And then he discovered that there was already a copy of the photo in the album. 

So he framed the photo, and placed it on his desk. 

And then a thought occurred to him, strangely and out of the blue, as the hallways suddenly felt even emptier. 

“Mom? Do you think I should move out at some point?”

Eva gave him an incredulous look. “Why are you asking, Dante?”

He brought his hand to the back of his neck, nervous as he brought up his thought process. “It’s just… Verge moved out. Being all independent and all. I just thought, maybe I need to also…?”

“Oh, sweetie.” Eva seemed to laugh as she shook her head. “You don’t have to force yourself. You can go your own path, and still stand shoulder to shoulder with your brother. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

* * *

During the following two and a half months, Vergil took less patrols, but he still went out to patrol at least twice a week. Recently, some of the more daring demons seemed to have caught interest in what he was protecting within his territory, and he took great delight in cutting the intruders down. Many times, however, he had to fight the urge to bring demon corpses home. Sera did not need sustenance from these useless pests. Other than his help with normal meals, his blood was all she would need.

Sera also had more appointments to attend, now that she was nearing her due date. Everything was progressing well. Sera even handed Dante extra copies of her ultrasound photos to mail to Kassy. (She was very fascinated by them. Apparently, her family didn’t go for checkups. Understandable, being part-devils who are used to hiding their true nature from the public. “My family usually wouldn’t know what gender the child is until they are born. It’s so nice that you know!”)

At home, Vergil was by Sera’s side in bed. She really liked the pelts Kassy’s family gave them, and enjoyed nestling into them with that shark plush as a body pillow. Vergil embraced her from behind, a hand settled warmly over her stomach. 

Right now, their child appeared to be awake and active. With just about a month left, Sera had started to complain that Nero was definitely feeling cramped. Sometimes they might see the outline of a foot or even a hand in her belly. Thankfully, their son was also falling into a clear sleep schedule, and wasn’t nocturnal like Vergil. Sera was actually able to get sleep in at night. 

“Not too long left…” Sera sighed, content to be resting with Vergil against her back. Beneath his palm, he could feel the roll of a limb from Nero. Lightly stroking the spot, he responded:

“No, not too long left. How are you feeling?”

“The usual. Sore, tired, cramped. I can’t believe how big babies get, before they are born.” 

“And yet they are also still so small, and fragile.”

Vergil was done working through his trepidation, and knew that as the due date neared, he had to face the next step of this reality with confidence. Thankfully, a bit of his nervousness had been abated by the existence of Kyrie. Sera was already adept at handling the little girl, and with Leo and Nova, they helped ease Vergil into relaxing around the infant, and even taught him how to hold the girl. (Dante ended up being not exempt from this. A good case was brought up: “You’re not going to keep being this shy when your nephew is born, are you?”)

“Kassy would then be visiting again, too.” Sera continued the conversation idly. “Have you noticed how Dante’s been looking forward to it? I guess he’s been pretty lonely and bored, since we don’t hang out nearly as much now. I’m afraid we’ll be a little busy going forward, too.”

On the subject of Dante’s anticipation, Vergil recalled something. “Dante said he received a letter this morning from Evan.”

“Evan? Kassy’s other brother?”

“Yes. It was an odd letter, if I do say so myself. We’ve never carried an exchange before. But he sent a letter to Dante, and it was very peculiar.”

“Oh?”

“He wrote, stating that his little sister is very bad at admitting when she wants something, and that growing up, he and the eldest brother often had to play guessing games about what she wanted. It was a weird warning, that Dante should be certain to have Kassy be straightforward with him. Now, what might you think this means?”

At that, Sera laughed. “Oh, I did think Kassandra seemed a little, star-struck, for lack of a better term, when she first arrived here. But Dante seemed equally dazed, don’t you think?”

Vergil simply smiled coyly, and kissed her at the nape of her neck. “We’ll see. I’m beginning to think that my brother is a fool who also does not know what he wants for himself.”

* * *

Nero’s birth was, all things considered, a very normal ordeal at home, with a midwife recommended by Nova on site. 

Being Sera’s first child, she did have to endure the long and unfamiliar sensations and changes in her body. But even the midwife said later that Sera had more mettle than most other people, maybe even more mettle than the Holy Knights that had to get stitches for their wounds. Though the process was far from comfortable, Sera did not scream in her pain, or let herself fall into the delirium that the ordeal was impossible. 

Perhaps the only solid evidence to the measure of her discomfort would be that her Ophidian Duet had shifted to fully plate her hands, arms, and shoulders as fully formed gauntlets. For a while, she even left marks in Vergil’s hands, from the edges of the metal platings digging into his skin. They healed over quickly, of course. 

Kassy had arrived timely just two days ago. She was with them, and followed the midwife’s instructions with ease. 

Out in the living room, sat Dante and Eva. 

“Dante, your nervousness might drill a hole in the floorboards, if you continue to tap your heel like that.” Eva tried to soothe. 

“I know, I know! It’s just… I don’t know, mom! I have no reason to be nervous but I think I’m nervous because… I don’t even know why! It’s Vergil’s and Sera’s kid! These past few months haven’t been short of evidence that there’s going to be a kid in the family, but this is happening right now?? Is everything going okay? I know they said this could take a while but how long is a while? Shoot, whatever ‘a while’ is, we’re going to get to meet the kid soon. I don’t know if I’m going to be ready to see Vergil holding a baby. I mean we’ve all held Kyrie…”

As he rambled on, Eva couldn’t help but wonder if sometimes, Dante had this unexplainable nature to react to things that happen to Vergil as if it were something very personal. Vergil often seemed to try and distance himself from what goes on with Dante, though it was often a failed attempt. The twins, after all, were brothers of blood forever entwined, and often acted like two halves of a whole. 

Dante was probably radiating all of the nervous energy that Vergil otherwise would not. 

And then, his rambling was cut short, by the healthy cries of a newborn babe. Eva simply leaned back into her chair, patient but surely relieved, while Dante let out a sigh that was a mixture of relief and wonder both. 

And then Kassy stepped into the living room with a radiant smile. “He’s very healthy, and everything is fine! Give them a little bit to clean up and deal with all the stuff after.” 

Baby Nero was certainly a healthy looking infant, held warmly in her mother’s arms. Sera might look tired but she had enough energy to look upon Nero with radiant and content warmth. She was leaning back into Vergil, who was sitting on the bed mostly behind her, arm wrapped around her shoulders to provide support for her fatigued body. 

At the moment, all Dante could do was stand at the doorway, feeling dazed but absolutely ecstatic at the sight of how Vergil stared at his son just like when he stared down at the ultrasound photos. He whispered words into Sera’s ear, words of praise and disbelief that this perfect little boy was finally here. 

A perfect baby boy with white hair that told of exactly what his heritage was. Dante would bet that the kiddo’s eyes would be blue, too. It just seemed right. 

To the side, Kassy tugged at Dante’s red coat sleeve, and briefly got his attention. “He’s adorable, isn’t he?”

Dante inhaled, and tried to muster up words: “Yeah. Yeah… it’s strange. Don’t know what really makes a kid adorable but you look at the kid and that’s just it. Precious, too, right?”

Kassy nodded as she also gazed at the happy family. Eva was beside them now, being introduced to her grandson. 

And Vergil eventually glanced up at Dante, and beckoned with a very rare expression of calm happiness: “Dante. Come meet Nero.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Might go without saying, but Kassy brought expensive wedding gifts. A whole bolt of silk is not a typical wedding gift; that’s luxurious as heck. I want to say that typical wedding gifts are things like a set of bowls and chopsticks, maybe a comforter and pillow set for the bed (red with dragon and phoenix stitchings for luck!) and stuff, I think.   
> \- I am weak for any form of Vergil teaching Nero how to use a katana. Kiddo will get to be multi-disciplined in swordsmanship. <3  
> \- I can’t remember the exact entire layout of Fortuna castle, but I think I can be forgiven for being vague and deciding it will have everything I want it to have for this story. =P  
> \- When I think of lions in China, I think of the playful lion dances, and the stately but still adorable lion-statues.   
> \- I actually had a hard time with pacing for this chapter, because I'm a sucker with subtle slow-burn and I wanted to build this fire for Dante and Kassy *right*. A the same time, I definitely didn't want to push back Nero's arrival, either. So I hope this chapter was still satisfying!


	10. Dawning into Dusk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five to six months is a long time for Kassy to still be lingering around Fortuna, but Dante doesn't mind. Little Nero is an absolute angel, Sera and Vergil are happy. Now there was the situation with Kassy's birthday coming up... and surely, he needs to figure out something special he could do for her, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there’s this movie that came out in 1996 called “From Dusk till Dawn” and it’s relevant to this chapter. If you’ve never seen it, no big deal. Hope you don’t mind “accompanying” our cast

On the night following Nero’s birth, everyone involved was tired for one reason or another. But being mostly nocturnal, neither Dante nor Kassy were ready to turn in quite yet when they finally got back to the castle. 

Having learnt that Kassy was partial to honeyed tea, Dante managed to put his practice of making tea for his mom to use. They had the fire in the fireplace going in the sitting room while Kassy warmed up by the fire with the tea. Though she had packed warmer clothes this time, with a few very nice-looking fur-trimmed tops and jackets, she still came from far enough south that the chill of the March air in Fortuna was too cold for her. 

Out of habit, he had offered her his coat. But this time, she shyly refused. When Eva brought a blanket for her, though, she took it.

“So, you’re pretty knowledgeable about this stuff… kids and all.” Dante finally brought up. They had a lot of letter exchanges, but some things still remained a curiosity. 

Blushing Kassy stammered: “O-oh! It’s just… I don’t actually have experience with kids, but Lance does. He teaches us all of these things?”

“Huh… Mom got most of her curriculum stuff from other school teachers. We weren’t really given a lot of talk on taking care of kids at all.” Dante then nervously wiped his mouth after taking a sip of the tea that he didn’t care too much for. “At most I guess we were taught how sex works. Not sure if I could say Vergil did a good job or a poor job on that subject, though.” 

Kassy giggled. Now that everything was done and over with, Dante thought it’s been long enough to privately poke some fun at Vergil. A part of him was still buzzing with excitement over his tiny nephew’s existence. 

“I know what joke you’re trying to make, but I have to say… you might want to ask Sera if he did ‘a good job’ or not.” She grinned. 

Suddenly, it was Dante’s turn to splutter a little. “What! No way. If Vergil doesn’t pincushion me with a rain of swords first, then Sera would skewer me or flay me.” 

She tilted her head in thought. “Would she? Ah, I suppose I should remember that sex isn’t an open topic.”

Dante actually just about choked on his tea. Setting the cup down, he mulled over it in his head as quickly as possible, and told her: “I don’t think… Uh, I don’t know if… that just doesn’t sound like a topic you’d talk about in depth even with your family? Other than being taught about it I mean?”

Sheepishly, Kassy rubbed her thumb over the handle of her teacup as she thought of her response. “Sex is a pretty basic topic in my family. At least, for me. It’s more in-depth than just… Hmmm, you aren’t interested in this kind of conversation, are you?”

“Uh…” Interested? Okay, maybe. “I just don’t know if this is an appropriate topic? I mean, I know Fortuna is conservative but like… how is sex a common topic with your family?”

“...For procreation?”

Dante blinked. That was a very odd way of putting it. Yeah, sex makes babies. If he didn’t get the memo the first time, he certainly got the memo when Vergil and Sera went and made Nero. 

Kassy brought a hand up and twisted a lock of her hair between her fingers. She was blushing, now. “I’m sorry, I guess now that I think about it, your family wouldn’t exactly work the same way as mine. You have a better chance of finding human mates who are more accepting of who you are, whereas in my family…”

Even in letters, this was something that they never talked about before. It never came up. 

He thought this was a good time to somewhat shift the topic. See if this takes them to a different route or something. “Hey, it’s not like we’re from completely different worlds or something. There’s still loads to learn. No one here knows what we should expect from our devil’s blood, and now that Nero’s here, it’s really great that you’re willing to come all the way out here to teach us. Besides, didn’t you say something about making our own culture? That’s something that’s always being built upon, right?”

Something about that made her smile. And he felt relieved. 

“You’re right. It can change. There’s probably more than just what I can teach you guys. I could learn some different things from you, too.”

Nodding, Dante thought he’ll have a bit more tea and poured some more out for himself. “Yeah. So, one thing at a time. The more pressing curiosity is what surprises we’re going to expect from little Nero, right?”

* * *

Sleepless nights were hardly a problem for Vergil, who did not need as much sleep as a normal human being. Sera couldn’t be more appreciative of having a husband who, though not required to be awake with her, would still stay awake and by her side when she fed Nero. His presence by her side, often supporting her shoulders or back, was sweet and comforting. 

The first few days were a bit hard, even with Nova and Eva’s help. Soon, they fell into routine, and by the time Vergil and Dante’s 19th birthday came around, there was enough energy to still celebrate in between putting all of their attention on Nero. (Kassy made a large cake with Eva and then baked all sorts of other pastries and sweets. Too many, in fact, and probably on purpose. She allowed Nova to take the overflow of pastries to the orphanage.)

When Kassy checked Nero over, she said he was very healthy, and at the moment, there’s no telling if and when he might manifest any devilish traits other than being  _ devilishly cute _ . 

“Like most of the nestlings of my family, however, there’s probably enough devil in him to prompt early teething. Be on the lookout for that. And until he learns how to control his developing physical strength, be careful about his playtime with other children. He should be able to control himself well by age two, with the right training. I brought harmlessly breakable toys for that.” Kassy had informed them helpfully. 

Nero was a beautiful child, and that wasn’t just the biased opinion of his parents and family. Even many passersby people had to comment on how pretty he was, and it honestly made Sera blush. (Vergil would try his best to hide it, but he was just as abashed as he was proud.) Nero was bright-eyed and rosy-cheeked… common attributes of a newborn, but they shined on him.

Sera started calling him her “Little Angel.”

Ironic, and she knew it. But that’s why she loved it. And Vergil didn’t object. 

Lucien stopped by at one point. Vergil had opened the door to find the slightly older male nervously at the door, flanked by another man… another knight that Vergil knew was on the same squad as Sera’s “cousin.” He glanced once between the two, and deliberately blinked once before staring at Lucien and asking: “Yes?”

“So, um… How are all of you…?”

“Well.” Vergil paused, glanced over again at Lucien’s companion, and then got to the point: “Are you here to see Sera?”

Before Lucien could answer, his companion, who stood a little taller than his nervous squadmate, with a dark brown complexion and black hair that was in braids, smiled and brought into view a gift box. “You know, Sir, usually when someone important or a higher-up has a child, there’s a celebration with their squadmates or close acquaintances. Now, I know you’re pretty close with the Supreme General and all, but you got no squad. So we thought to stop by with a gift for you all.”

Vergil nodded, and turned only slightly to announce back towards the living room, without taking his eyes off of the guests at his door: “Sera, Lucien is here with…”

“Elliot.” 

“With a fellow knight, Elliot.”

They were welcomed in by Sera’s cordial invitation. They didn’t want to stay long, but they stayed long enough to have a look at Nero.

Elliot was definitely one to speak what comes to mind: “Well, he looks a lot like his father, that’s for sure. But the way things go, I’m willing to bet he’s got that Valkyrie hellfire and persistence, regardless of his name.” There was an approving kind of smile on Elliot when he said this to Sera. 

He then added: “I was always on Lucien’s side of things. Got some colourful things to say about his old gramps. Been finding the right time to tell the old man to shove it, but you guys beat us to the punch. I’d say you deserve the right, though.”

At that, Vergil did have a momentary thought. He wasn’t overly concerned, but it seemed like a good idea to ask Lucien: “And your father…?”

Then, Lucien grinned: “Oh, he finally snapped. Lame leg or not, he finally gave gramps a piece of his mind.” He seemed relieved. “I, um… also came here to ask something on his behalf. He would like permission to place flowers on his sister’s grave…”

Sera didn’t feel the need to think twice on this matter anymore. “Lucien, for better or for worse, know that my mother never said an ill thing about your father, or anyone other than your grandfather. I will not object. I believe she would be happy to hear from her brother again.”

* * *

In between when Kassy left and came back, Vergil did, in fact, put forth some effort into cooking. For the time being, he has practiced one thing and one thing only: Pasta.

More specifically, making pasta sauces. Anyone with half a brain should know how to boil pasta bought from the market. (Neither he nor Sera had the time to make pasta from scratch. At least, not in his current ventures into cooking.)

When Sera and Kassy got to chat again in private, Kassy had teased: “And you didn’t get sick of having pasta so regularly, while he was practicing?”

“Well, lucky for me, I  _ like _ pasta of all kinds. So I didn’t mind having it on the regular.” 

Kassy then smiled down at the giggling Nero waving his arms out towards his mother from the cradle. “There’s a good chance the little one will like pasta, too then, if you ate so much of it while pregnant.”

Sera laughed. “That, and maybe olives. I craved so much of that. I already liked olives, but Vergil isn’t a fan of them. Dante, however, will throw a childish fit over them. Never serve him anything with olives in them. He’ll never eat it.”

“Oh, I know. He’s complained to me about them before in letters. Especially the one time his brother got revenge on him using olives.”

“You got to hear about that? Oh those two… Gosh that wasn’t really that long ago, but now my perception of time is all skewed. They had just passed the recruitment stage at the time. Hard to believe it’s only been a little over two years.” Sera sighed happily at the memory. “Though, I guess we did jump into some things a little early…”

“Is it? You’re… 21?”

“I am. A bit young to be a mother if you ask some of the people around the city. But I don’t regret this one bit.” She answered as she let her Little Angel wrap a tiny hand around her finger.

“I guess things really are different out here. It’s pretty common in my family for females to go out on prowl at 18.”

“Prowl?”

Kassy nodded. “As a family all with devil’s blood in our veins, we were often more at-risk if we tried to open up our secrets to the local humans. Every generation, at least one female of the nest is responsible for leaving for a while to seek out a suitable male to breed with. So, siblings are often all half-siblings, and we grow up without fathers. Only mothers, and Lance as our father-figure. Very occasionally, a female witch or demoness might find themselves entangled with us. They are the new blood that males in the family, or even Lance himself, might mate with.”

The way she explained it, Sera noticed that something was bothering Kassy. Based on what she knew from Dante and Vergil telling her small bits of their letter exchanges, she first asked: “You don’t like the idea of this prowl?”

She shook her head. “No. I… It’s not that my brothers won’t be good role models, or that they won’t take care of any children that are brought into the family. In fact, we all adore children as a family. But having brothers by your side is… I don’t think it’s the same as being with the father of the child. It’s not the same as finding that one person you’d want to have children with.”

Sera felt a little sorry for her, and a few other things clicked into place. “In your terms, you want a proper mate, right? A husband. And a marriage.”

Kassy grinned, though she cast her gaze down. “With a big celebratory wedding with family, yes.”

Sera thought back to her wedding. It was something simple and private. But she was beginning to understand Kassy better. The younger woman hungered for the kind of things from society that she couldn’t have. 

“Tell me a bit about your dream wedding, then?”

She blushed. “Oh, I… I don’t know. Weddings over in the East are quite different. I can’t expect one with a lot of people attending, but a traditional wedding of festive reds, cheer and alcohol…” 

What Kassy described was definitely a little different from what Sera knows for a wedding. But she could say with certainty: “You’ll look good in red.”

* * *

“Dante, you’re late.” Vergil scowled momentarily at his brother. 

Sera and Kassy have definitely become friends, which was probably something good for the girls both. Sera wasn’t able to easily get along with most other women, and Kassy simply didn’t have enough friends. Eventually, everyone was urged to have an outing.

And by outing, it meant it was Kassy wanting to take Sera shopping.

Still, some more sun would do everyone some good. And at almost five months old, Nero was a giggling joy who couldn’t quite keep his curious hands off of things. Once already, when Dante hadn’t tucked his amulet under his shirt while holding his nephew, the kiddo grabbed a hold of it. 

And you couldn’t underestimate the grip of an infant, let alone a part-devil one. It finally took mama’s coaxing for Nero to lose interest in the shiny red and silver amulet. 

Said kid was currently waving his arms at Dante from Vergil’s grasp, babbling something cute and incoherent. 

“Awe, I was only a bit late. Like ten minutes? Hey, kiddo! Enjoying the great outdoors?” Without waiting for what was undoubtedly a response of disapproval from Vergil, Dante greeted the five-month-old. Vergil and Nero had clearly been “abandoned” by the girls. Kassy had probably already dragged Sera off into the first shop, and Vergil remained outside on the bench with the kid to wait for Dante. Nero’s stroller was right by him, yet Vergil opted to hold the kid for a while. 

How delicate and sweet he would be towards the kid was really something new for Dante. He never thought his cold and aloof older brother would ever have such a side to him. 

And the kid is already sharper than he looks. Vergil and Dante might have been able to fool Eva when they were children, but Dante couldn’t fool Nero into confusing the twins. It was something both intriguing and disappointing, but when Nero wanted his dad, he never reached for the wrong family member. He supposed it was the devil senses. Spencer, their father, for all his difficulty with remembering names to faces without effort, never mixed up Dante and Vergil, after all.

“Ten minutes late is still late. What made you arrive separately from your guest?”

Dante was meant to show up with Kassy, seeing as they should have both left from the castle together. Yet Kassy had curiously arrived first, stating that Dante made a different turn and said he’d catch up later. 

“Right, so, remember when Kassy made us that huge cake and then all those sweets?”

Vergil’s response from sitting at the bench was simply glancing up at Dante with mild interest, while Nero babbled something again, clearly happy to act like he was part of the conversation while his uncle was talking. 

“Awe, do you remember, little guy? You’re still too little for solid food yet, but I bet all those pastries smelled nice to you.” Dante stooped down to tickle Nero’s cheeks. 

“I don’t believe Nero had really noticed the smell of baked goods. He was more preoccupied with the sustenance already provided to him.”

Dante cleared his throat in embarrassment, pointedly not going to make a comment over Sera breastfeeding. Vergil got to the point they went off track from: “So what does Kassandra’s cake and baked goods have to do with your lateness?”

“Well, Kassy’s birthday is in August. She hasn’t said anything about going home yet, and I’m starting to wonder if she’ll be staying here when her birthday comes around?”

Eva had pretty much welcomed Kassy as a long-term guest, and with Kassy’s newfound friendship with Sera, Dante couldn’t blame her for having less reason to rush home. With his mom also in regular contact with Lance, and since no one has really brought up a need for her to go home...

Dante wanted her to stick around a bit longer.

“So, you’re trying to come up with something for her birthday?” Vergil concluded. 

Finally sitting down on the bench beside him, though in a less dignified manner since Dante pretty much always takes up as much space as possible, he sighed. “I can’t figure it out. Stopped by a shop hoping to find some inspiration, but I don’t know if just a gift would suffice, or what kind of gift to get her. Definitely not  _ clothes _ . Nothing here would ever be to her taste. And I can’t cook worth sh-- anything.” Dante quickly corrected before Vergil could glare at him. “And I’m not about to try. She’s too good in the kitchen for me to be able to make anything worth her while.”

“Is it really that difficult to find a suitable gift for her? You never seemed to have this much trouble getting a birthday present for Sera.”

“But Kassy’s different!”

“Is that so.” 

Dante wasn’t sure why Vergil was acting so amused. 

“There’s a lot you don’t learn about a person just through letters, okay? And I’m not like you, where nine times out of ten your gift defaults to books. Please don’t tell me Nero’s first birthday gift is also going to be a  _ book _ .”

Nero giggled in Vergil’s lap. Though he wouldn’t understand the conversation, something about Dante’s exasperation got the kid laughing. Dante scrunched up his nose. “Right, he’s your kid. Books might just be up his alley.”

Shaking his head, Vergil simply chided with a smile: “Foolishness, Dante. Don’t concern yourself with what is appropriate for infants and toddlers for now. Haven’t you been spending time with Kassandra in person in the past few months? Yet you still have no grasp on what would be an appropriate birthday gift?”

“It’s not that I haven’t learned about her likes and dislikes, Verge. But she’s… you know, if there’s something she wants, she seems to have no trouble buying it for herself.”

Vergil could see how Dante was in a bit of a predicament on this gesture. Truth be told, Dante wasn’t wrong: if it were Vergil, he’d simply find an appropriate book for a gift. And he even said as much: “Has she gotten a copy of Fortuna’s ridiculous folk tales yet? She seems to be quite interested in fantasy and folklore, and some of those inane stories about our father that we could neither prove nor disprove would be a perfect souvenir and gift for her.”

Dante immediately blanched at the idea. “I’m not giving her a book of tacky stories involving our  _ dad _ to her for her birthday!”

“Then what do you know about her, that she likes?”

“Pretty clothes. Dancing. Tea…?”

“And?”

“And what?”

“Surely you’ve learned more about her in the five months you’ve spent with her.” 

Vergil almost sounded disappointed, and this baffled Dante. “I mean, sure, I’ve learned loads about her! Her favorite colour is red. Her favorite flower is honeysuckle. She’s a night owl like us, and likes to stalk her prey when she hunts. You should see her when she does that. You can’t even see what weapon she pulls half of the time, and the next thing you know, the demon’s dead and she’s right back beside me.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Dante then continued:

“There’s loads of things she likes. She likes to stitch. She stitches a lot of butterflies. She was going to offer to make something for Nero but I told her Sera was already working on something. She likes to cook but you’ve experienced that already…”

Indeed, several times Vergil and Sera would visit the castle with Nero and find that Kassy made an interesting dinner for everyone. 

“She talks a lot about the things she likes to do with her family when we hang out. But none of that really helps me figure out a birthday gift!”

The conversation was interrupted by Nero reaching out towards the other side of Vergil, making a high pitched squeal that turned the heads of a few other people. While a few of the citizens could be seen commenting on how cute Nero was, Vergil and Dante glanced over to see Sera and Kassy making their way back towards them. 

“Nero!” Though she hadn’t been gone long, the doting mother that Sera had become came up to them briskly to receive the little tyke from Vergil’s hold. “Were you good for your dad and your uncle? Did my Little Angel miss me already?” 

Somehow, just a bit, Dante was still not used to this entire scene. Happy parents doting on their children in bright summer days was something he’s seen often around the city, yes, but again… Sera and Vergil, doting over a child? 

Something was a little unsettled within Dante and he wasn’t sure what it was. All he knew was that maybe he didn’t need to stare longer than he needed to, and turned his attention to Kassy, who was apparently the only one holding a shopping bag. 

“Found something you liked?” He asked. 

“Yeah!” She beamed. “Well, some things that I think young Credo and little Kyrie would like.”

Right. Sera had taken her to meet General Leo and his family, also. This was very generous of her, though, buying things for kids of people she barely knew. He also recalled that sometimes, she’ll coo over children of other citizens who weren’t overly wary of her. “You really like kids, don’t you?”

“I do! Children are wonderful.” Kassy beamed. 

“Well, with how much you know about taking care of kids and stuff…” Dante simply continued talking, and by the time his brain caught up with what he was about to say, it was too late to stop himself: “I’m sure you’ll be great with kids of your own.”

Suddenly, Kassy’s cheeks flushed red, and she began to fiddle with the rope handles of her shopping bag. “S-someday, yeah. Maybe when… ” She became bashful and looked away, muttering something that his acute hearing was able to catch clearly: “Maybe when I find someone I like…”

Right. That’s not a one-person ordeal. 

Someone she liked, huh?

For some reason, Dante felt his heart beat loudly in his chest. He didn’t want to think about this “someone she would like” situation. 

Someday soon, she would go home, far away from here. 

And he’s not sure why he would hate for her to leave.

* * *

The next day, Kassy paced back and forth in the library of Fortuna castle. 

Today, Dante and Vergil had to attend the monthly meetings for the Order at the HQ. Sera, who was still part of the detail despite being on maternity leave, was finally able to decide that she could leave her precious son with Eva for a few hours in order to attend the meeting. 

And this, for once, left Kassy alone with her thoughts. 

Thoughts about how she wasn’t sure how she was going to proceed from here. 

Her birthday was coming up. She would turn 19 soon. And at the reminder that she will be 19, she worried. 

She would have to go home soon. And having put off her “prowl” for a year, she knew she was running out of excuses to put it off. 

“Are you okay, dear?”

Kassy yelped. Eva had approached the library with sleepy little Nero in her arms, and she didn’t even hear the older woman approach. 

“I’m fine. I’m okay.” She stammered while Eva gently set Nero into the cradle that had been left in the library by Vergil and Sera. 

“Are you certain? You seem to be pacing a hole in my carpet.” Eva teased, her intuition probably telling her that Kassy was not fine.

Embarrassed, the younger girl sat down on the nearest couch in order to stop her pacing. 

Eva sat down in the chair beside the cradle, and rocked it gently a few times as she asked softly: “I can tell that you’re troubled by something. You don’t have to share just because I asked, but I can offer to lend an ear. Lance and you have been very helpful family friends, and it’s only right that I lend my assistance if you should need it.”

“I…” She wanted to turn down the offer. She wasn’t used to being able to speak about her family to others, even though Eva knew of her inhuman nature and history. “I don’t know. It’s something of a family matter. I can’t say it’s something anyone can help with.”

The raised eyebrow that Eva gave her had a hint of chiding to it... that same kind of chiding that Vergil had mastered tenfold and made more severe. But Eva took things with a more delicate approach: “Kassandra, you have been of very great help for things that I would consider as my family matters. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a little bit of help with yours, is there?”

Hearing that, Kassy twiddled her thumbs, abashed. “I, I suppose not. It’s just… my family is very different…”

“As all families are, dear.” Seeing that Nero was comfortably asleep, Eva slowly stopped the gentle rocking of the cradle, and moved from her chair to the couch to sit down at comfortable but still close distance away from Kassy. “Each family is a little unique in their own way. I have no doubt that yours has its difficulties. Why not share a little of your troubles?”

She stopped twiddling her thumbs, but instead she looked down at her hands. Clasped together, she began to fiddle with the magic rings upon her fingers. “I… I’ve been avoiding going home, to be honest.” She finally admitted. 

“What trouble is keeping you from going home?”

Not wanting to look up from fiddling with her rings, Kassy began to mumble and stutter slowly through her explanation: “It’s not trouble, to be honest. It’s a responsibility that I am running away from. I… My family, as I’ve explained, is… is built upon the blood of Aegis. Of Lance. Part human the rest of us may be, but he is still devil, and we are his kin. The Hive blood that we are related to makes us crave a specific social structure…”

“A hive… like honey bees?”

Kassy looked startled for a moment. “Honey… honey bees… yes. I… I don’t think most people think of something so tame when someone talks about a hive of devils.” Some choice horror movies come to mind, instead… but now that she thought about it, Fortuna hardly has a movie theater. Just one old-fashioned stage theater. 

“Well, a hive would be a family that relies on having each other in order to support each other, right? And, strictly speaking of honey bees, everyone has their roles and their responsibilities, but I’m sure your family is more complicated than that.” Eva was as thoughtful and as understanding as ever. “What responsibility is making you fearful of going home?”

As a mother, Eva knew where to be straightforward and where not to be. In this instance, calling Kassy out on her fear seemed to be the right move, as harsh as it may be. The young woman paused in her fiddling of her rings, and tensed as she forced herself to admit: “My generation in the family are all grown now. I am the only daughter of this generation, and we are a smaller generation than we ought to be. Upon turning 18, it is my responsibility to…” She stalled for a moment. “To bring children to the family, by going out and seeking partners who would not miss me after the night turns to day.”

* * *

Eva found herself privy to a very curious issue, though not without receiving slightly depressing news first; Kassy’s reluctance to talk stemmed partially from the fact that she and her siblings had lost their mother just a few years prior, and she didn’t really want to touch up on that subject. (“Demon hunting can be a dangerous business, and sometimes, our natural healing does not trump the need for a doctor that we cannot see.”) Lance had not wanted to burden Eva and her family with this information, and Kassy didn’t think it was something she could write to Dante about.

Though reluctant of the idea that she was “replacing” the mother-figure of the family, Kassy was not afraid of the task of becoming a mother. However, she was a romantic at heart. Society has changed, and the era of warriors was long in the past. Finding a worthy partner both in terms of prowess and in good heart would be difficult, and it was also harder to stalk down “prey” without being found out with how technology and surveillance have advanced. 

Kassandra King was the new “Queen” of her family. But she wanted more than the promise of protection from her brothers. Wanted more than just the care of her family by blood, when it came to child-rearing. 

And she admitted to Eva, as a young girl who hadn’t had another trusted older adult to confess to in a long while: “Seeing Vergil and Sera… made me envious. The kind of closeness siblings have, I know now that it would never compare to the sweetness of an actual couple. And it must be nice, to have nights and days where someone you could call your beloved at your side. I cannot, and I will not, have such a relationship with my brothers, after all.”

Eva couldn’t possibly have much consoling to give to Kassy on this matter. The cynical and overly cautious part of human society have created plenty of tragic legends, tales, and stories over the demise of non-human denizens who meant no true harm to them. 

But she did tell her, and ask her: “It’s okay to have hopes and dreams about what you’d want in life. I know your goal is a little hard to attain, but talking about it helps, too. It doesn’t matter how attainable or not this dream would be. Tell me a bit more about what you’d want, Kassy.”

So, with coaxing, the embarrassed girl who had been afraid to tell anyone else about her dreams of having a proper romance, talked about how she wished she could go on dates, and have a sweet partner to share secrets with, and be loving with. She wanted the awkward moments, the hand-holding, the meaningful first-kisses…

It became clear to Eva that Kassy had a lot of ideas on what dating and romance are purely based off of written fiction and movies. But the kinds of things she described were truly typical things that could happen between people. Finally, she asked Kassy like a teasing mother would: “And what kind of Prince Charming do you have in mind for yourself?”

Kassy seemed to think deeply about this question, a light blush and a dreamy look in her eyes as she twiddled her thumbs again. “Well, I would hope for someone who likes children…”

Yes, that is somewhat of a prerequisite, isn’t it? “Other than what your family needs, dear. What do you want for a partner?”

“...Someone who isn’t afraid of what I am?” Kassy laughed nervously as her hands momentarily and subtly turned into claws. 

Eva sighed. “Oh, dear child. Pretend for a moment, that you wouldn’t have to worry about that. Be lost in the fantasy for a moment. As some of those giggling school girls out there would ask, what’s your  _ type _ ?” She smiled and asked.

“O-oh. I guess… Someone tall? I’m a small person, I know, and I really like the idea that I could be completely enveloped in an embrace from someone with a larger frame. And… no matter what, I think I’d love someone who’s strong and could easily pick me up.” She began to twist a lock of her hair in dreamy thought. “Someone with a good appetite! So that I could cook for him! And… I… I really like people who are good with their hands…”

The last part insinuated a lot of things, but Eva was a classy witch; she wasn’t going to say or ask whichever way Kassy meant by that, but she could understand that a woman can have preferences for talents. (She did momentarily think about Spencer, however.)

But then Kassy seemed to snap out of whatever daydream she was envisioning, and flushed red in embarrassment. “Oh…” She seemed to gasp, and she looked so shy that it seemed she wanted to run away.

“It’s okay to have a preference.” Eva couldn’t help but laughed softly as she patted the back of Kassy’s hand, careful to not speak too loudly and wake Nero.

“A preference… I… Lady Eva, I think…” She nervously twisted her hands together, head bowed as she tried to hide her expression. She mumbled something, but Eva knew she wasn’t mistaken in what she heard: “I think I’m in love with Dante…”

* * *

“Get her something red.”

“I already know what her favorite colour is, Sera. Just  _ red _ doesn’t help with finding the right birthday gift.”

“I really don’t know how to help you here, Dante. You know how I am. I’m more of a practical person. And as practical gifts go, I don’t think there’s anything Kassy lacks. She told me she lives in a  _ mansion _ . I’m sure she’s not lacking in anything for cooking, or in clothing, and I’ve never seen her hold a weapon but I doubt she needs more weapon maintenance tools, either. Really, the only suggestion I could give you would be the same as Vergil’s… get her a book!”

“You two gave each other books for  _ years _ , is that the only kind of gift you guys know to give?”

“Have I ever given  _ you _ a book, Dante?” 

Having had enough of Dante’s indecisiveness, Vergil cut in: “Why don’t you try and ask mother? Perhaps you need her insight on this.”

Dante chewed on the inside of his mouth, and then huffed. “You know what? You’re right, Verge. I should ask mom. She’s always been able to point us in the right direction.”

They had arrived back at Fortuna Castle, and the conversation tapered off the moment they stepped into the halls. Without need for debilitation, Vergil turned to go down the hall that led towards the library. As they neared, Dante could already feel the stirring of the small presence within the library. Nero knew that they were coming near, and Dante slowed his steps just a little to watch Vergil and Sera walk through the doors before him. 

Eva gently closed the book she was reading, and though Vergil tended to react to affection coldly, he would be a good son and allow his mother to come up to him and give him a hug and a kiss to the cheek. Sera had already gone to the cradle where Nero was making delightful sounds, reaching up to her. 

When Vergil pulled away to go join Sera and Nero, Dante noticed that Kassy wasn’t nearby. “Where’s Kassy?”

“She went to the kitchen to make biscuits for tea when I told her Lenore saw all of you approach.”

Dante found this to be perfect timing; he didn’t sense her coming down the hall or anywhere close, so he asked: “Hey mom? Could you help me with something?”

“What is it, sweetheart?” His mom seemed to be very curious about his question.

“So, Kassy’s birthday is coming up at the end of August, and I can’t figure out what to get for her…” So he explained, in not so many words, his conundrum. 

And Eva took in the information, Dante could already tell that his mom had an idea going on. And he knew, when it came down to it, his mom was the most reliable person in the world. 

“Well, how about giving her more of what she didn’t have, or couldn’t have? Kassy seems to enjoy being able to do activities with people she can call friends. Perhaps she would like to go to the cinema?”

“The… oh, those motion picture places?” Dante blinked. It’s been ages since he’s been to one. Fortuna currently still doesn’t have a movie theater. He’s been to a few stage performances, and even one of the opera performances. But this meant…

“You mean, take her to the mainland?”

“I think she would enjoy that, wouldn’t she?” 

Thinking on it, Dante couldn’t help but mirror Eva’s smile. “Yeah! That’s not bad. I think I should be able to manage finding a theater over there and all that…”

Clearly happy that he took the suggestion, Eva nodded, and then added: “You should find a day to visit the mainland and see what would be available come end of August. But you still have a few weeks, and in case you still wanted to find a physical gift for her, maybe you could ask her family for suggestions?”

* * *

As Kassy’s birthday drew near, Dante made preparations. It wasn’t a lot of work, but after setting foot onto the mainland after so many years, he did feel a little out of his element for a bit. Glad that he was going to get his bearings before trying to bring Kassy to be just as lost with him, he scouted his options, and even asked a few of the ticket booth workers for a recommendation. 

At first, he found that his situation was easily misunderstood when his question is posed as “What’s a good movie to bring a girl to?”

After loosely explaining that he’s doing this purely on a friendly gesture to return favors to her (though the ticketers certainly didn't seem convinced,) he was asked a few questions on Kassy’s hobbies or what might she enjoy. Though it was easy to say that she seemed to like fantasy and romance, Dante knew that Kassy had enough devil in her to be a thrill-seeker, and she definitely had “hunter’s” blood. In the end, he thought he did a pretty good job picking out something they might both enjoy.

On the subject of an actual gift, however… He did write to Kassy’s older brothers about it. While waiting for a response, it turns out that Vergil did, in fact, purchase an edition of Fortunan folk tales. It was even a fancy hardcover. Dante scrunched his nose at it when he saw it, and Vergil only gave him a wry smile: “Well, I should still thank her in some way. If anything, should this gift not be to her personal liking, I believe she may find it a good gift to her… family patron.”

Dante laughed. “What, bro? You gonna pick up the slack on the gift-giving pops had going with Lance?”

Vergil simply went “hmm” as he continued to wrap the book, and then answered as if it were plain thoughts: “I do not mean to say that I would continue whatever manner of agreement our father had with Lance. However, it would not be a bad gesture either, wouldn’t it? If that was the agreement for a devil to be shackled to a gate, then perhaps it is also my responsibility to continue upholding father’s side of the bargain…”

“Stop. Stop right there…” Dante held up a hand. “Have you been asked to do this? Because, if not, a gift is just a gift, Verge. Don’t gotta make everything about, you know…”

Sometimes, rare as it may be, Dante and Vergil still had a few choice words (or blades) to exchange over the topic of their attitudes over their heritage. Vergil seemed to always hunger for knowledge on the occultic, though under their mother’s guidance. Dante could easily see how Vergil would easily slip into a few devilish habits, too. 

Simply put, though Dante would not doubt their father’s love and importance in the short time Spencer had been in their life, he didn’t put as much care into what he inherited from his old pops. Furthermore, he was sometimes afraid that Vergil might care too much about it, and was afraid he might lose his older brother to some sort of illogical devilish way of thinking someday. 

But, Vergil shook his head. “No. It’s not the agreement itself I care about, Dante. I have been reminded, on one occasion, that I do have a friend among that family, after all.”

Well, putting it that way, Dante had to be relieved that Vergil could call someone a friend. Oh, Dante had thought of Roy as Vergil’s friend for a long time, but Vergil never said so himself. Dante could only be glad that this whole penpal business has turned into something really worthwhile. 

Speaking of penpals, the one member of Kassy’s who had only written to them twice prior, wrote a third time in response to Dante’s letter asking about a suitable gift for Kassy. One morning, Lenore had dropped off a thin strip of paper that could barely be called a letter. 

> _ Dante, _
> 
> _ Strip for her. I’m sure it’ll be the best birthday gift she’ll ever receive. _
> 
> _ -Evan _

Suddenly glad that Vergil no longer occupied the adjacent bedroom, Dante’s immediate reaction to the response had been to crumple it up and suppress the urge to flip out. Despite his belief that he’s a grown man, he was 19 and his limits on his modesty were not as loose as his casual habits at home would suggest. Lack of a shirt? Sure, no big deal. But he kept his pants on around the castle, thank you very much. 

Lenore, too smart for her own good, laughed. And the laugh of a raven-demon-familiar can be something a little uncomfortable to hear. She then dropped off something that looked like a more  _ proper  _ letter, and flew off. 

> _ Dante, _
> 
> _ No, I won’t apologize for the leading response. And I am quite serious on the matter that my sister has an eye for a good body, and I’ve seen your photos.  _
> 
> _ I can read emotions. I don’t want to elaborate on that. It’s not a skill I can turn off. But I grew up observing how the people around me internally react to things, and I know more about what she likes than I’d like to know.  _
> 
> _ But if stripping is too much for you to handle, you’re going to have to go for the plain and simple. She likes butterfly accessories, and she will never have enough of them.  _
> 
> _ And when it comes down to it, Dante, if it’s a gift from you, she’ll be happy about it. _
> 
> _ So, I wouldn’t worry your pretty little head over it. If you do just about anything for her birthday, it’ll make her happy.  _
> 
> _ -Evan _

Well, Dante had to admit, as patronizing as the letter was, it was useful information. Though he wondered if that was really all it took… that any gift would make her happy. 

Was he maybe overthinking this?

* * *

The night before her birthday, Dante asked Kassy if she would like to go to the mainland to watch a movie.

“A movie? Ah, I haven’t gone to one in a while…” She nervously began to fiddle with her rings. Dante had noticed that Kassy had a compulsion and habit to lace her fingers together, wring her hands, and perform all sorts of fidgeting with her hands when she’s nervous. 

“Yeah, me, too. Fortuna doesn’t have a movie theater, after all. And since your birthday is coming up…”

She gasped lightly. “Oh! Y-you remembered!”

He did not admit to her that he only “remembered” because after she celebrated his and Vergil’s birthday with them, he dug through all of the letters he saved from her to look for the ones that mentioned her birthday. 

“Hey, gotta do something for ya since you’re all the way out here instead of celebrating back with your family. Sorry I’m lousy at baking a cake though.” Dante simply grinned, feeling some of his worry over the whole shebang melt away when Kassy smiled back. 

“Then… I would love to go to the movies for my birthday, yes! What will we be watching?”

And on the next evening, Dante accompanied Kassy to the theaters for a viewing of “From Dusk till Dawn”. 

On the ferry ride off Fortuna, he felt just a little awkward. Kassy had a bit more freedom in how she would dress since they were going to the mainland. With it being summer, she had even less reason to layer up…

Though she made sure to wear a longer dress this time, the long and sleeveless QiPao, again, had very high slits and a chest window. She was still wearing mostly black, for someone whose favorite colour is red. But the butterfly embroidery on her dress was all silver and red. And her shoulders were covered by a silky dark-red shawl. 

She did up her hair differently today, too. 

Usually, she pulled it back loosely, with a layer of it held back with a clip, leaving her hair just over her shoulders. 

Today, the dark brown curls were twisted into two buns. A very classic East Asian look that accentuated her adorable demeanor. 

Compared to her, Dante felt underdressed in his cargo pants, combat boots, and a T-shirt. The only expensive-looking thing on him was his red leather coat. He was beginning to wonder if he should have gone out in his Knight’s uniform, however misplaced he would have looked off of Fortuna. But that was truly the only thing he owned that looked official in any way. 

So, he asked her during the ferry ride: “Should I have gotten something to better match the dress code…?”

Kassy gave him a briefly confused look, before bringing a hand to her lips as she swept him with her gaze. “I think you look fine. Though, every time I see you with that coat, I half expect you to go out in public the way you lounge at home…”

Dante had tried his best to specifically only “lounge” when he thinks he’ll be undisturbed or not within her presence, but clearly she had ended up seeing him a few times without the shirt. “Mom would kill me if I tried to leave the castle while indecent! I, um… don’t mean to be so loose when we have guests around the castle, either…” 

The response she gave was curiously not what he expected: “But it’s your home? Your nest? You should be allowed to lounge however you feel comfortable. Roy doesn’t even bother with shirts or jackets half of the time. But ever since some of his chitin came in, he has the excuse of dealing with shedding every few months until his growth spurt was done.”

“His… what?” Surprised at this information, he was also glad they were speaking softly about this topic, where anyone that didn’t have good hearing would not be able to hear. 

“Chitin. It’s what makes up most exoskeletons of bugs and insects. Lance is a Hive King, after all. Roy inherited that aspect in the family, and has a pattern of chitin on his body. I’m used to seeing people be underdressed. And it’s also a lot warmer where I grew up, after all…”

Unsure of how he was going to address her subtle hint that she doesn’t mind seeing him half naked, while trying to forget Evan’s letter telling him he could strip for Kassy, Dante tried to focus on a different point in the topic: “Huh… funny… now that I think about it, Verge and I don’t show any outward signs of being different from, you know… I mean, we seem to have transformative abilities, but…”

Kassy tilted her head in thought. “I… I think Roy doesn’t completely hide his features on purpose.” She mumbled. “He shouldn’t feel obligated to show them, because I know about the family secret now… but the way the devil's blood manifests in humans isn’t an exact science. The more human we are, the more chances there will be small signs we cannot hide once the devilish traits awaken. Some hide them better as they mature. But he and Evan are half-devils like you and your brother. I have reason to believe he didn’t hide them in order to make me feel more at ease.”

Without thinking, Dante’s asked: “What traits do you have?”

She blinked. “I, um… I don’t have a lot of physical traits, actually. There’s a bit but…” She ducked her head as she tapped her fingertips together nervously. “If you want to see them, maybe some time… I could show you…”

Having realized what he had asked, and with the response given, heat rose to Dante’s face. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t an appropriate question. You really don’t have to show me. Or tell me. Was just… wasn’t thinking and was curious.” 

“Mmm…” Kassy simply hummed in response, head lowered, but there seemed to be a small and shy smile still on her lips. She whispered something so low that Dante wasn’t sure if he heard her correctly, even with his hearing: “I would show you if you asked.”

Pretending he didn’t hear that, he fought the blush and did his best to turn his mind away from the nagging curiosity. But he wasn’t rude, and he definitely didn’t want to be someone who gets pushy and invasive. So he changed the subject as the ferry neared the mainland docks:

“So, um… I also got you a birthday gift. Maybe you’d like it now, before we get off the ferry?” He had brought the small box on his person, in his coat pocket. Kassy seemed excited at the prospect of this gift as he decided to add an extra touch. Pretending it was sleight-of-hand, in case others on the ferry saw, he magicked a red rose (dethorned because this wasn’t Sera and her aversion to dethorned roses) and slid it under the ribbon of the thin little box, and handed it to her: “Happy birthday. Made it myself. I hope you’ll like it.”

Kassy knew that Dante manifested the rose with devil powers, and seemed pleased with that alone. She grinned as she beheld it for a while, and trimmed the stem enough so that she could reach up and put the rose into one of her hair buns. 

And then she opened the ribbon-tied little box and found a beautiful little hand-carved butterfly pendant, made of red jasper. 

“Oh, Dante! This is so cute! And perfect! You made this?”

“Y-yeah. I don’t know, it just seemed better than buying you some random thing that you could already afford. So I decided to try and make something for you instead.” 

Several seats away, Dante could hear another passenger saying to someone else: “Awe, that’s cute.”

Flustered, he offered: “Want me to, uh, help you put it on?”

“Please.” She beamed. 

The length of the necklace was perfect. The butterfly pendant rested perfection within the chest window of her dress, accentuating her cleavage. 

Dante swallowed nervously. 

He wondered if it was wrong of him really like how much skin she would show, as if it were natural. The way she showed her assets, she wore it well. 

He didn’t think it was the fact that she was exposed in those places that made his heart race. It was the way she was exposed yet didn’t act vulnerable. 

If he asked her if he could touch… would she let him?

* * *

It’s been so long since he’s been to the movies. He could remember, as kids, how he and Vergil might sometimes fight over the popcorn, or get into an argument about whatever they were watching, and their parents would have to quickly get them to settle down. 

What did they even watch back then? They hardly went to the movies. Good old fashioned plays like the stages he was familiar with in Fortuna, now that was something he seemed to have more of an impression of. 

But, regardless, he and Kassy now enjoyed an entire motion picture over each of their orders of popcorn. 

As for the movie itself…

There was a point where Dante wondered exactly what was supposed to go down with the plot of “From Dusk till Dawn”. When the start of the movie broke out with gunfight and fire, Dante even found himself chuckling at the scene. It was fun, but nothing as wild as what he could do with a gun. 

The main characters introduced at the start were clearly not good people. But despite him knowing that there were all sorts of people with different natures out in the world, the idea killing another human being when it could be avoided never sat well with him. 

A good chunk of the first half of the movie left Dante wondering at exactly how different Fortuna was from the rest of the world. He had some inkling of what other religions there were out there, when the pastor who had lost his faith and was taking his family out on a vacation in an RV was introduced. He wasn’t exactly sure what this man’s religion entailed, and he ended up asking myself: So, do the people of Fortuna putting faith in Sparda actually do anything?

Who was he kidding. Sparda was no god. He was a devil. And even beyond that, Dante had a hard time seeing his missing dad as some almighty powerful being. 

Beyond that, though, he did whisper to Kassy: “A house on wheels? Now that’s a concept. I like that.”

When it came time for the crooks who hijacked the poor pastor's family vacation and RV to try and cross the border to Mexico (which Kassy had to explain was a country south of the United States, on the northern american continent,) Dante almost really wished the cops would just find out about the bad guys and that the pastor’s family will just come out of everything unscathed. 

But he supposed them crossing the border into Mexico with no one dying was a win, right?

Wrong. 

But before that, there was the  _ strip club _ they stopped at. 

And while Dante was already thinking how “The Titty Twister” was an odd name for an establishment, seeing the big neon sign of the strip club that was an animated hand pinching a nipple made him blink. 

Then he choked on his popcorn as the announcer went through a whole spiel about pussy. “Is this how all strip clubs are?”

Kassy had to hold back her laughter: “No! Definitely no! There are classier establishments, too!”

Knowing that he couldn’t really pass judgement on strip clubs in the first place, Dante sunk into his seat and tried his best to bat away the thoughts and reminders of how Kassy knew how to pole dance, and again he remembered the darn suggestion from her brother about stripping. 

And Kassy didn’t make matters any better when the movie focused on the dancers of the strip club. “I can dance better than that.” She said at one point. And he resisted the urge to blurt out how he’d love to see her dance for him.

Finally, the tension was broken in the middle of one of the sexy dance scenes, of all things. Watching the screen, he heard Kassy mutter: “What is with all this weird focus on feet?  _ Hands _ are so much more interesting than feet.”

It was his turn to try and hold in a laugh. Even he felt like the feet stuff was a bit weird, and he didn’t think too much about Kassy’s comment on hands. 

And then all hell broke loose in the movie. 

The strip club was a vampire nest. And the two of them giggled and suppressed laughter through a good majority of the rest of the film. The special effects were,  _ gooey _ , to say the least. And the movie’s belief that vampires were “soft” and “not as sturdy” had the two real devil hunters reeling in laughter that they had to contain within themselves at the theater.

At one point: “That’s not how bullets work!” Dante laughed. “Not unless you have demonic bullets!”

(He did have to ask Kassy in the middle of the movie, when one of the characters suddenly started spewing his backstory: “What’s Nam?” And got a brief explanation that it was a major war that people came back shaken from.)

For a movie that ended up feeling like more comedy than horror to the two of them, they did feel a bit terrible over how many characters died in the movie. By the end of it, the two left the movie in relatively high spirits, and talked about it on their way to the docks to catch the last ferry of the night. 

“Man, that was wild. What a weird movie! Though I have to admit, the next time I deal with demons that are actually afraid of the sunlight, a disco ball suddenly sounds like a really good weapon!”

Kassy laughed. “Get one that’s sturdy enough to be a flail!”

“And the jackhammer with a wooden stake! Holy heck even I have to laugh at that!”

“Personally I found the holy water condom-water-balloons the most hilarious!”

“Oh, but speaking of the entire ‘buckle down let’s fight’ scenario, that Kate girl… I don’t know, what happened to the rest of her family really sucked for her but that’s the makings of a hunter right there.”

“Ah…” Kassy seemed a little wistful. “Many independent hunters out there have that kind of story. It’s a sad story, but it’s what makes them able to fight, to survive, until their last breath.”

Dante couldn’t help but make a “tsk” out of the corner of his mouth. “Yeah. Damn shame. And on the matter of dead people in the film… I don’t know how to feel about Seth killing Richie.”

Still walking beside him, Kassy pulled her shawl tighter about her shoulders and nodded. “Richie was not a good person. But he was still Seth’s brother. I can understand that it was a hard decision for him, even if, as the audience, I think his death brought more peace to the world.”

There was a pause in their conversation. They both had thoughts and feelings about when Richie turned into a vampire, and Seth had to kill him. From the start of the movie, when it became clear that there was something  _ wrong _ with Richie, Dante couldn’t help but remember the moment after Richie murdered a woman, Seth had started angrily first with the question: “Is this my fault?”

There was a lot the movie didn’t quite explain about the siblings, but something was clear to Dante: despite how fucked up Richie was, and how frustrated Seth got over Richie’s psychotic issues, the fact that they were brothers mattered so much to him that Seth couldn’t bear to leave Richie behind. 

He even suspected that Seth was going through all the trouble to rob a bank and to get them out of the country, because he wanted Richie to be somewhere safe. Somewhere where the apparent forces of their home country couldn’t get to him. Though, there was the matter that their peace would only last as long as Richie wouldn’t assault anyone else, but perhaps Seth saw hope in making his brother better once they escaped?

And as his mind briefly wandered to how he would be so torn if he and Vergil ever diverged to a point where they had to resort to killing each other, Kassy whispered: “It’s happened before, in my family. A long time ago. When a child would lose their way, and lose themselves to the allure of power in our demonic heritage. A mother had to kill her son. And once, a brother had to hunt down his other brother. Stories that bring Lance grief every time he tells them.” Glancing over at Dante, she then said something melancholy yet oddly reassuring:

“Both times it had happened, there was one thing in common. They had believed they were not loved enough. That they were not good enough to be loved. That they were alone.”

Dante could only solemnly nod at this. “Love is the greatest power there is in the world, right?”

“As cheesy as it’s made out to be, yes. Love can move mountains. Doesn’t always move things in the right direction. But that’s a choice, too.”

“Huh.” But this was all getting too heavy for him. He didn’t want to think about it too hard. Life was good right now. He had his mom. He had his brother. His brother has a wife who is Dante’s best friend. And Vergil and Sera have an adorable baby that Dante knows his brother would die for if it came down to it. 

The only thing missing in this picture was Spencer, who could never be replaced by the scriptures, statues, and fervent worshipping of Sparda. 

And he said as much, to Kassy, who also smiled and said: “Yes. Likewise, there is also my family, who are now somewhat bonded with yours through friendship. That in itself is a kind of love, too.”

And so they arrived at the docks, only to be met with one problem in the form of one of the dock workers explaining to a very small group of people:

“Eh, settle down everyone. I know this is very inconvenient and all, but there’s something wrong with the engine system and we only got this one ferry for the last ride out to the island. Yes, yes, I know, if only if we could get another ferry or something out, but it’s late, and everything else is locked up for the night. Look, we’re sorry for the inconvenience, and if anything, we’ll provide the place to stay for the night, okay? And a pass to board whichever ferry tomorrow that is suitable to take ya out to the island. But for tonight, hotel room is on us.”

“...Damn.” Dante cursed and scratched the back of his head. “This is not how a day should end for the birthday girl.”

“D-don’t worry about it! We couldn’t have foreseen this. I still had a good time! Thank you still for bringing me out for my birthday!” Kassy immediately told him. “It’s okay. Let’s just see what we can do from here, okay?”

In the end, there really was nothing they could do but take the amenities for a hotel room and a return trip on the next day. When Kassy saw the establishment they were pointed towards, however, she told the worker: “Ah, we’ll take the tickets for the return trip, but not the hotel voucher. I can take care of that myself.”

The worker didn’t protest at that, though Dante wondered why she declined it. As Kassy stopped by a place with a map of the area on display, he asked about it, and she explained:

“If I’m going to stay at a hotel in an unknown place, especially on the night of my birthday, I want some place classier. Spend the night more comfortably. Come on!” 

Well, at least she seemed happy about the prospect of staying at a nice hotel. That thought alone made him completely okay with this turn of events. Who was he to object if it made her happy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I’m still not over the whole realization that Vergil was barely an adult when Nero happened.   
> \- Vergil can try all he wants to keep his private life private, but some things still warrant public attention in a close-off city such as Fortuna, where everyone is supposed to know everyone. I have no doubt that births are greatly celebrated, especially for people of importance. Lucien became my means to touch up on that, and then I thought… heck, I should probably at least give the remaining Valkyries some good closure.   
> \- Sometimes I’m reminded that Eva is a human woman who fell in love with a devil. Sometimes I think Sparda's traits had to have made a certain amount of romantic moments. Sometimes… I am reminded that Sparda was also probably a super extra devil.   
> \- Dante viewing Eva as “the most reliable person in the world” did break my heart a little… because he only thinks that in this AU.   
> \- Quick note because I’m extra: I’m thinking that Fortuna used the lira, which was Italy’s currency, before the euro was released in 1999. It still took a few years before it became widespread, but that’s my thoughts on currency between Fortuna and Mainland.   
> \- So, I literally went and googled “movies that came out before August in 1996” and picked something to watch. I sat down and watched this hilarious B-movie for the sake of writing this fic. And I don’t regret it. (Don’t ask me what was actually for viewing in Italy, however. I could only be so realistic.)  
> \- Speaking of the movie… I laughed throughout most of it. By modern standards, it’s hardly a horror movie.  
> And yes. I leave you off with a very tantalizing event hook. And yes, a hotel room. Because why the hell not go that direction?


	11. Going in Blind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And there was only one bed!"
> 
> And there is only one way this can go.
> 
> In which Dante is given a revelation he should have seen before, and everyone else around him is happy to tease him for it. 
> 
> [Side note: rating of this fic will not change to Explicit. That material will be side content.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Long time no see! You might be asking about the delay. So, um…
> 
> \- Spent 1 month writing 7 fics for DMC week in the beginning of October.  
> \- Two people in my department quit so we are now understaffed.  
> \- Covid got brought into the house and everyone got sick. 
> 
> That is the *simplest* explanation as to what happened, and it’s been very rough. (I am better now! Mostly…)
> 
> Extra note: I will have a special “excerpt” short story written soon for those who want to know what happens at the fade-to-black. Been planning it for MONTHS. Also, a young adult Dante who got to do some healing from trauma is absolute baby and I feel like he’s almost too adorable right now. Don’t worry he’ll still grow into badassery.

Recently, due to a fact of need, phone lines and new electrical cables were finally re-wired to Fortuna Castle. There was a good manner of convenience, to be able to have access to a phone again, and this was one of those moments, where the phone in the castle rang. 

Eva was somewhat surprised at the call so late, and was afraid that something had gone wrong, and that she was needed by the Holy Knights. 

There were two phones installed into the castle: one in her study, and one in a sitting room. She had spells that told her of when they rang, though at the moment, she was in her study. 

“Good evening, Eva speaking.”

“Uh, hey mom.”

“Dante! What’s wrong?” Though it was never good to jump into worry first, Dante happened to be off the island this time. This call would have been considered long distance, not to mention someone who managed incoming calls from mainland would have had to patch him through. It would cost a hefty amount of change, so if he was calling…

“So, the last ferry wasn’t operational tonight, so we’re, uh, kinda stuck out for the night. Just wanted to let you know so you don’t worry.” Dante mumbled. 

“But you’re both all right,  _ right _ , sweetie?” Eva asked. 

“Yeah! Yeah, everything’s fine! Just, you know, no ride back tonight. Kind of sucks to end up dealing with this kind of stuff on her birthday, you know. But we’re staying out at a, well, I guess a hotel is different from an inn, maybe? Kassy chose some fancy place…” 

She could tell by Dante’s tone that he was a little overwhelmed. 

“I’m glad you’re both fine, sweetie. Will you have enough money for the hotel, though? I really should have convinced you to take more with you.”

“I don’t know how much this stuff is supposed to cost, but you know Kassy. She’s already said she’s going to pay for it. Not really fair since it’s her birthday, but this might be a bit out of my range? The ferry operations offered to cover a night’s stay but I guess it wasn’t up to Kassy’s standards, so here we are instead.”

Eva thought about this. Kassy made no motion to hide that her family was wealthy, but she never acted like she was above anyone else for it. Though she did enjoy frivolous spending, the young woman also put her spending in the right places, and had an overly generous heart. So, Eva could rest easy on the fact that her child and his friend will be comfortable and safely off the streets. 

It was the confession that nagged her. 

Did it worry her? Maybe not. After everything that’s happened, she at least hoped this meant Dante knew how to better behave. But a part of her wondered exactly if they would both behave, or if, in fact, they need to behave. 

She was at a bit of an impasse on this front. Kassy’s a very sweet girl. Dante is Eva’s sweet child, as is Vergil. Seeing how happy of a family Vergil and Sera made with Nero in their lives, Eva couldn’t lie to herself. 

She would like to see Dante happy, too. From infancy up to adulthood, Eva always wanted them to both be equally loved, and equally taken care of. Not only did she expect that Dante would not fall far behind on the matter, but she felt that it was only right. 

Of course, she’d rather he be able to have a bit of care into the matter, too. 

“I’m glad that the two of you would at least be able to spend the night comfortably, then.” And she did mean it. Smiling to herself, she then said: “Just be sure to take good care of yourselves tonight, and don’t do anything reckless, okay?”

She could hear Dante shift, and it sounded like he almost coughed in embarrassment. “Mom, don’t… It’s her birthday. Don’t make this weird.”

Actually, it might not be far fetched for the birthday girl to go that far, but Eva thought that perhaps she was having a little too much fun with this drama. This still involved Dante, after all. “Dante, I want to ask you something. And I know I’ve teased you about this before, because I  _ am _ your mother and I care about what’s best for you, but also because it is a mother’s joy to tease her son a bit: is there anyone you like?”

Dante whined through the phone.  _ “Mommmm.” _

And so she giggled. “Be good, Dante. Love you bunches, and we’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

* * *

By the time Dante hung up the phone, Kassy was making her way back towards him from the receptionist’s counter. She seemed to be reflecting some manner of embarrassment about her, too. And right now, that was exactly how he felt. 

He wasn’t exactly too sure what his mom was trying to imply over the phone. It was just a  _ hotel _ stay! 

But now even Evan’s stupid letter was coming back to him! 

“Hey, um…” Kassy started. “So, it’s tourist season apparently. They’re pretty booked up…”

Well, that didn’t sound too good. “Guess we’ll need to try somewhere else, then?”

“Oh no! It’s, um…” She shuffled her feet and then showed him the key cards. “There was a cancellation, so I did manage to get a room.”

Oh. “Okay. It’s fine. I can sleep just about anywhere. They’ll have a spare pillow and blanket, right? If there’s a couch, that’ll do. Or just a floor.” He shrugged. 

Kassy hummed. “I wouldn’t really want to make you do that, but… let’s get to the room first and… we’ll see, okay?”

“Hey, it’s not a big deal. Can’t be letting you sleep on the floor and all.”

She just tugged at his sleeve, so he followed her. This room was in quite a spot, though. All the way at the top, and in a  _ very _ fancy section, too. Seemed to be a corner room that was pretty big, too.

And then Kassy unlocked the door to a very nice room. 

Now, Dante did spend the later part of his childhood in a fancy castle. But the castle was a bit old, so there was something different about the feel of modern fancy. 

The room was pretty spacious. There was a couch, so at least he didn’t have to sleep on the floor. But that was tossed to the back of his mind when he saw that the bed was probably larger than the one in his mother’s room. Though it was a canopy bed like the one she had, on the bed itself were two heart-shaped pillows. There had to be some significance to that, and he turned to see that Kassy was still lingering at the door. 

“So…”

“The cancellation was for a room that was set up as a honeymoon suite.” Kassy explained, still lingering by the door. 

“A… what?”

“You know… for couples that go out on a honeymoon?”

“I know what a honeymoon month is. But what does it have to do with…” He waved his hand about the hotel room. 

“You, um… what  _ is  _ a honeymoon month in Fortuna?”

“It’s usually a month following the wedding where the newlyweds are left alone to get settled in, and I know it’s also usually the period of time for them to get busy. There’s mandatory holiday off for a newlywed couple. Verge was supposed to get a whole month off from patrol following his wedding, but he doesn’t rest easy without securing the perimeter. I mean, it’s not like he patrolled while officially on a shift, so what he did on his honeymoon was his business. And Sera was already, you know.” He shrugged. 

“Oh. Well, I suppose your city culture is all on an isolated island. It’s not too much different outside of Fortuna, but a newlywed couple might take a vacation out somewhere, and they might book a room such as here to have intimacy during vacation.”

Dante tilted his head, and glanced around in thought. “Okay. I guess that makes sense? Though…” Thinking about it, it made sense but also didn’t make sense to him. “Feels kinda odd, in my opinion, to spend your month following getting married to  _ not _ settle into your own home. Isn’t the whole point supposed to be about getting cozy in your own nest?”

At that, Kassy laughed. It was a giggle that finally seemed to melt away whatever it was that was making her nervous. “When you put it that way… I agree! I would think it would be nicer to be in a familiar, cozy place, too! Cuddle up to each other in the very place where one would make their home, the same territory where one would raise their young…” She then sighed wistfully. “Your devil side prefers nesting, doesn’t it? So does mine. But I would have to nest alone.”

As she said this, she finally stepped away from the doorway, made her way past him on light footsteps, then she took off her shoes and then hopped into the canopy bed to make herself comfortable. She grabbed a pillow and one of the heart-shaped pillows, and curled up around them. 

Still, she did bring up something that had his confusion and curiosity. While he started to go through the dressers and drawers to find spare pillows and blankets, he asked: “Why would you have to do that alone? Isn’t a honeymoon meant for the couple to be together?”

As he started pulling blankets out from a drawer, Kassy sighed from behind him: “For me, there will be no honeymoon, because there will be no marriage. Part-devil, remember? Where I live, I’ll have to love them and then leave them. Find a decent guy, hopefully one with promising traits to pass down, and hope the one night takes. Then I go home and nest with my family. But it’s not the same. Brothers and a family patron does not take the place of a mate.”

She said that like it was normal. Dante felt like that was kind of tragic. But what else could he say in response? Finding his spare blankets and pillows, he turned and saw how wistful she looked. Damn, he didn’t mean to upset her on her birthday. 

“That, uh… that sucks. I’m sorry. That’s kind of… sad.”

She simply hummed into the pillow in response. Setting his stuff down on the couch he intended to sleep on, he sat down, and stared at her for a moment. The way she was curled up on the bed, she looked so small, and so vulnerable. And she was definitely a little upset now. He could kind of sense it, smell it. 

“Hey, it’s your birthday! Lighten up! Didn’t mean to make you all sad. What can I do to make it better, since we won’t be getting back home until tomorrow? Maybe a stroll out in the city? Never really been here before, might find something new! Oh, hey, let’s see how it looks from up here at the top floor, huh?” Trying to stay chipper, he bound over to the large window, and opened the curtains. 

It was a lovely sight, really. The city’s night lights were a different sight than that of Fortuna. “Wow.” He couldn’t help but say. He then turned around, and found that she had at least sat up to look towards the window with him, pillows set to the side, and so he smiled and added: “That’s pretty different than home.”

He could kind of still remember Redgrave, but now that felt so long ago. 

“It is, isn’t it? But your city has its merits. Such as people who could love you because they worship your father to begin with. All the bright lights and the allure of the city… the people who live in them are still none the wiser of demons, or they fear and hate them. In the long past, there were a few who mistaked my family for guardian spirits. But we are not that, either. And with time, that reverence faded, too.”

It hardly seems fair, that the circumstances of her birth meant that she couldn’t have something so simple as a social life, or a loving marriage. Dante really felt bad for her. Ever since Vergil and Sera formally got together, even seeing how sweet they were reminded Dante of his own parents, back when Spencer was still around. 

And he couldn’t lie, he’d want that for himself, too, someday. So why couldn’t Kassy have that, too?

“Hey, well, don’t lose hope? Maybe you’ll find someone who’s the exception? Maybe someone on Fortuna… well, I don’t know if many people would want to leave the city, though, and I guess you’ll have to go home at some point.”

Kassy looked contemplative, though in a shy manner. “I… well, that… I’m not…” with her hands betraying her nervousness as she folded them and unfolded them, she whispered: “If only… if I didn’t… Dante, if I could stay longer, or if I didn’t need to go back home too soon… would you… would you spend more time with me? Sera is recovered now, and your brother and her are handling their first child very well. There’s nothing else I need to give pointers about that I can’t do over letters. You have your mother to rightfully help with other matters of nurturing. I was thinking I’d have to go home soon, but suppose I didn’t have to, or even if I could come back again regularly… would you…” She paused. 

He waited, wondering what she was going to ask. She technically already asked her question, but the way she trailed off certainly indicated something more. 

“Would you do something like this again with me? Go out somewhere, do something together? Have a day where it’s just us… a… a date?”

The more she spoke, the softer her words, until she all but whispered the last word. 

A date. 

A date?

“A… date? You…” Dante wasn’t exactly sure how to interpret this. “I, uh…”

“No, nevermind. Forget I asked. It’s not like it would really work out, anyway.” She started to backtrack. “It was just wishful thinking, sorry. You’ve already done so much for me today, all just for my birthday. Thank you.”

If Dante were to be honest, he didn’t think this was “so much”. She was his friend, and doing nice things for someone’s birthday is only right, right? But hearing everything she’s saying, and everything she had said so far, he didn’t dare think…

But he dared to say: “Kassy? Did you… did you want me to take you out to places more? Like this? And… are you saying that you… like me?” He leaned back against the window, feeling somewhat flabbergasted. 

She shyly tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear, and looked away. “Even if I do… It wouldn’t really mean anything in the end…” She whispered. 

“Why wouldn’t it…” But even he trailed off. He needed just a moment to think. But try as he might, thinking was reserved for when he was alone and with nothing better to do, or when he wanted to think about how to meddle with what’s going on with Vergil. Thinking was reserved for when he was observing other people… not for things regarding himself. 

Because when it came to matters of himself, he felt more of the need to go with the flow, and go with his heart. 

So he walked over towards the bed, and sat down on the edge of it, turned towards her as best he could, to ask: “Kassy, do you like me?” The question was accompanied by the sound of his own pounding heartbeat. There had been a few occasions of girls about the city blushing trying to form some form of confession to him before, but it was never anyone he knew beyond being passerbys. He had since learnt very easily how to give easy smiles and gentle letdowns, though always with compliments and gratitude. What could he say? Maybe it was because of how he got to see Sera and Vergil interact, but he felt like those few girls simply didn’t spark his interest. 

And if he were to be honest, the whole thing about people worshipping his dad really made things weird for him, instead of what idea Kassy had about it being nice.

But Kassy? Kassy was something different. Maybe it was from the way she dressed? Would it make him a bad person if he said that he liked how free she acted about herself? There might be plenty of girls on the island that could easily match her adorableness, but damn if Dante didn’t love how she wasn’t afraid to show her assets. And after being around her for a while, he felt like she wasn’t showing too much, either. It was just right. 

And beyond how she was sweet, and competent both in making food and in hunting, was how she understood what he was. And he, in turn, knew what she was. He didn’t have to play the roundabout game of keeping the truth about himself hush-hush, even if Vergil had already all but announced to the entire Order of their parentage. 

No, perhaps it wasn’t exactly the matter of the truth of his devil’s blood, but instead it was the matter of how she would react to it. 

The worship of Sparda on Fortuna made things awkward for him. 

But Kassy was no such worshipper. However she felt about his parentage was not coloured by a religious order. 

“If I…”

“No ifs, Kassy.” He couldn’t help but smile at her. “Just tell me?”

“I…” She grabbed the pillow beside her and hugged it closer to her body. “I do. I do like you, very much. I don’t think there could be anyone else outside of my own family that I could like so much, Dante. I like you, because you’re different, but you’re also like me. You’re also very kind, and kind of quirky, and I like that. And when you patrol, and come across demons, you fight very well, and nothing gets away from you. And you’re cute.” She finished with that, and buried her face into the pillow in embarrassment. 

“Awe, no, don’t call me cute. That’s kinda… embarrassing.” He blushed. “But, really, you, uh, like me… wow…”

_ She likes him.  _

“There’s nothing embarrassing about being cute. It means I like how you look, among other things. And, yes, I do like you. And, you know… you should, um…” She stopped mumbling into the pillow, and lifted her head to shyly prompt: “You’re supposed to, you know, respond back. About if you, um…”

Somehow, Dante felt like it was a lot easier to get other people together than it was to deal with his own confessions. Maybe it was more because he knew his brother well, and knew Sera well, that he was able to find it in himself to have gone to tell Sera that Vergil liked her before his brother completely missed his opportunity, since Sera already tried dating other people a few times. 

But what about himself?

“Well… I… I think I do. Like you, too, I mean.” He admitted. “But, um… I don’t know, at the same time. You’re cute, too. And, uh… you… look, it’s kind of hard to compare anyone else to you. Growing up the closest female friend I have was always Sera, and she’s great, but she’s kind of all warrior and not… not you. Yeah, you fight and you hunt well, but no one looks as great as you. Am I allowed to say that? Ah, darn, I might as well just say it.” He could feel the blood rush to his face. “You look amazing and everything you wear makes you look good. Maybe I just like that you’re different? But it feels more than that. You’re… Augh.”

This was definitely getting frustrating to explain. Dante wasn’t really sure if what he felt about her was the kind of “like” that she’s looking for. “To hell with it. I don’t really know what kind of feeling I’m looking for, but I do like you, okay? Liking someone means liking to spend time with them, right? So, what’s the harm? Why not like each other? We can like each other, right?”

“...Even if I eventually must go home? Even if I have responsibilities to my family?” She asked, but with some sparkle of hope in her eyes. He liked that look better than her looking sad. 

“Who doesn’t have responsibilities? But maybe we can work something out? That is, if we, you know… if we think we can? If we want to?” Dante shrugged.

Kassy seemed to think about it. Meanwhile, he scooted a little closer to her. 

“Well, I would have to ask my family about it… if… No, that’s something we can discuss a little later. You’re right. There shouldn't be anything wrong with liking each other. We’ve sent each other letters for so long… I always wanted to meet you in person. I like you, Dante, and I want to see where we can go from here, because it doesn’t hurt to try, right?”

This entire thing felt so new to him, and he couldn’t help but think again:  _ Wow. So I guess maybe this is how Vergil or Sera felt when they knew? _

So, he scooted a little closer to her, and dared to reach over. She didn’t stop him from placing his arm about her shoulders, and then she leaned over and just about melted into him. 

“You’re amazing, have I said that yet?” She smiled, and snuggled into him like he was the most comfortable thing she’s ever felt. “I can say a lot about that, about how much I like you, and the things about you. Or even better, I can show you.”

“...Show me… what, exactly?” He felt like he both understood and yet didn’t understand what she wanted to show him, and how. 

“Well, I’ll show you, but only if you want it.” 

He noticed that a deep blush was also creeping up into her cheeks as she gazed up at him and continued: “And maybe it’s a good idea for me to preface that a lot of the devil that manifested in me is from having some succubus in my ancestry…?”

Dante was fairly certain that his brain and then the entirety of his being overheated like a steam engine that night. 

* * *

The following day, after they arrived back in Fortuna, Dante was just a little beside himself. 

Kassy was fairly tired by the time they got back to the castle, being nocturnal and all, and having not actually slept the night before, she had tucked herself into bed. But Dante, despite being fairly nocturnal himself, didn’t always sleep. 

It was part of his half-devil constitution, to require less sleep than the average human. And after welcoming hugs and kisses from his mother, he asked, almost flustered: “Do you know if Verge and Sera are busy? Or just Verge? I want to ask him something. Better if I can ask him and Sera both. Uh, I know I just got back, but…”

“Is something the matter?” Eva asked, though the concern in her voice almost seemed amused. 

“Nothing’s wrong! Just wanted to, uh, check up on them.”

“Oh. Well, evidently at least one of them will be home, since I have not been asked to watch Nero today.” With a gentle smile, Eva gave him a light push: “It’s not often I hear you wanting to ask your brother for advice, but please, do go visit. It’s always lovely for me to know that the two of you won’t be drifting apart, even after everything that has changed in our lives.”

Change. 

That’s true. A lot has changed, hasn’t it?

But that didn’t mean it was a bad thing. 

So, he left the castle, and bounded towards the city, hoping to catch Vergil and Sera at home. And they were. Dante knew that Vergil had felt his presence the moment he came within a few blocks of the apartment, so there was hardly any surprise when Dante turned up at their door. 

“Dante.” Was the simple greeting Vergil gave him at the door. 

“Hey! You guys got a moment?”

Of course, Vergil would not sigh. He would only scoff: “We’re here, aren’t we? And you’re already at our door.” Nevertheless, he would step aside to let the younger twin in. “Nero is napping. So keep your cacophony to yourself. I will make you leave if you disturb his rest.” He threatened softly. 

There was a time where these threats contained promises of bruises or bodily harm, though at their mother’s insistence and since knowing Sera, that had been toned down significantly. There were still days where the twins might sneak out to Mitis Forest for a good all-out and bloody brawl, as part of the devilish instincts demanded for a tougher challenge, but they have learnt how to keep those tendencies in check for the right place and the right time.

“Wouldn’t want to disturb the kid’s rest, don’t worry. Just here to, well, I wanted to talk.”

“To talk?” Vergil almost looked incredulous, while he closed the door. Sera had just entered the living room, not at all surprised at Dante’s presence, though she was happy to see him:

“Dante! I didn’t think you were going to visit immediately. I was thinking of hunting you down later to ask how everything went. Did Kassy enjoy the outing? And her birthday gift? Also, feeling up for tea? Or no tea this time?”

“You don’t look like you’re making tea, so don’t go out of your way.” Dante started. And indeed, they all knew he didn’t care for tea, so being overbearing about serving tea when they weren’t already having tea would just be a wasted gesture. “She seemed to enjoy her outing pretty well. The, uh, overnight thing wasn’t planned but that went over well, too.”

As everyone found their spots in the living room, which of course meant Vergil and Sera took their usual spots at the loveseat while Dante sat alone on the long couch, Vergil made the comment: “Well, indeed. Was part of her birthday gift supposed to involve unwrapping you?”

It was all the better that Sera didn’t serve any tea, because if she had, it didn’t matter if Dante were half-devil or not, he would have spluttered on the tea and nearly choked to death on it. 

Even Sera held back a laugh in the form of a cough as Dante immediately deflected: “What? No! I mean… wait what do you mean by that? How would you come to… oh.  _ Oh… _ ” Dante sulked and sank further into the couch. “I curse our heightened sense of smell. It’s none of your business, bro. I kept my mouth shut about you two for the longest time. Return the favor to your tactful little bro, can’t you?”

“I think I can return the favor in a different way. Would you like to go out on a brief patrol round with me? It’s been a little while since we’ve last spent time with only each other, and now seems like an opportune moment…” Vergil trailed off, waiting for an answer. 

Vergil was rarely ever the one to ask Dante for his time. It was always the other way around. Dante would bother Vergil while the older brother was minding his own business, and when they were younger they even had many fights about it. 

Ever since the attack and then moving, of course, they had to adjust. Though it was still more Dante asking for Vergil’s attention, there had been a long while that Vergil would read in Dante’s vicinity instead of without, taking the brunt of Dante’s nagging for some more exciting activity all to keep his younger twin within sight. 

It’s hard to say whether they’ve grown out of this behavior. Once they reached their teens, they did separate more, but always came back to each other by the end of the day. 

However, everything was different now. Vergil had family to take care of, and Dante respected that. It wasn’t a resigned respect, either. He was genuinely happy and proud of what Vergil had. After all, he believed Sera was the best match for his older brother, and brought out more of the tenderness that Vergil had a hard time showing to anyone else. 

But it seemed that, despite years of Vergil acting like he had to “put up with” Dante’s eagerness for his attention as playmate and as his only equal, once given sufficient time apart, even the haughty older brother would want to seek out that bond still. 

Before Dante could give a muddle reply, as he wasn’t expecting this kind of invitation and the siblings tend to default to banter for the sake of banter, Sera stated from beside Vergil: “It’s been a while since the two of you spent time together, without other factors involved. When was the last time the two of you were able to head to the forest, since Nero? You should take this opportunity, before our little angel wakes up and have your heart chained to his vicinity again.”

Her words had a hint of teasing, but also a gentle nudging to it, too. 

And any sarcastic banter Dante had out of habit was swallowed. 

“Yeah. Sure. Sounds nice, actually.”

“Excellent. Make haste then, Dante.”

It’s rare to see Vergil eager. Or, at least, the most eager (and nervous) Dante had ever seen him was probably the last few weeks when Sera was nearing her due date. And even then, in front of others, Vergil kept as much of that eagerness to himself as he could. (But Sera was not one to let her husband’s facade remain untouched. She told Dante all about Vergil’s nervous and eager energy, down to the many gestures he made in anticipation of their child that he would only show in front of Sera. And much of these stories did not escape Eva’s attention, either. These details being shared, though somewhat embarrassing and against Vergil’s outward nature, was what made Sera a good member of their family, and what Dante thought made her good for Vergil.)

So, the twins headed out, and though Dante’s heart and mind was somewhat a jumble due to certain things he wanted to ask his brother about, he was momentarily content to patrol with Vergil again. 

And thankfully, Vergil also helped open the conversation for him: “Dante, you had been writing back and forth with Kassandra for about as long as I have been writing with her brother, haven’t you?”

“Hmm? Yeah. Why?”

“Would you say that you’re as close of friends with Kassandra as you are with Sera?”

Odd question. “I don’t know, Verge. Do you feel like you’re close friends with Roy?”

“I don’t have any other friends to compare him to, Dante.” Vergil responded as if it were a matter of fact; which it were. But it also sounded downright sad. Before Dante could make a jab about it, though, he continued: “I can hardly compare him to my family, now, can I?”

On a technicality, Sera wasn’t always family. But now didn’t seem like the time to perpetuate a sibling fight. 

“Well, I can’t say I can compare Kassy and Sera, either. Sera is my  _ best _ friend, you know? And Kassy is… Kassy is…” He couldn’t quite find the right things he wanted to say. “Kassy is different. Very different. What I know about her and what I enjoy with her aren’t the same as what I know and enjoy with Sera, you know? Sera’s more like… my sister-in-arms? Well, now you went and made her my sis-in-law and that’s just as good! But Kassy isn’t any of that. She’s  _ really _ sweet though.”

Vergil tilted his head in something almost akin to a slight nod, before saying: “I see. I had been wondering about something, you see. I did wonder, once, why is it that you did not express interest in Sera, when you seemed to be so close to her. Perhaps even closer to her than I was? Do not misunderstand, however. I would not have reacted well, if you had expressed interest. Afraid of it, even, for a long while, until the day Sera asked me what I thought of her in earnest. You did have a knack of arguing with me over what’s mine.”

Dante snorted. “Like you didn’t fight with me over stuff all the time, Verge! Get to the point.”

“There isn’t a point, really.” And oddly, Vergil had a sly smile at the corner of his lips. “I’m simply grateful that you had grown out of the habit where it counts, little brother. Though we had grown up with mother trying her best to provide us individual possessions, I will admit now that our adult lives have diverged, it does seem a little strange to me how differently we live now.”

Is it strange? “It just kind of happened, huh? When you put it that way, I gotta say, I didn’t think married life would  _ suit _ you, but here you are! Though, I did wonder something, even though I was the one that wanted to see the two of you together…”

Continuing forward to lead them down another route for their patrol, Vergil simply made a “hmm” in response. 

“How do you know when someone is the one? Sera’s gone out with a few others before and ended up dumping all of them for one reason or another, but how does someone know when someone is  _ the one _ , you know?”

For a little while, Vergil didn’t answer. And as the second ticked, Dante felt more and more embarrassed that he even asked the question at all, so he started: “You know what, forget I asked. It’s not like I really need to know--”

“Are you sure you didn’t want an answer? You seem to be quite lost on this matter right now.” Glancing over, Dante noticed that his brother had that brand of amusement that tends to get under his skin. 

“Are you making fun of me right now? You got that ‘I got something to hold over you’ thing going on right now. Fine then, how about you tell me how you came to know that Sera’s the right one for you? I’m curious now.”

Of course, this got the older twin to momentarily knit his brow, before looking away and responding with: “If I’m to be honest, and seeing as you came to our place stating that you wanted to talk, you probably wanted an honest answer: It’s hard to say. If I’m to take Sera’s experience into account, one might say that you don’t know who is the one, but more accurately, it’s easier to know who  _ isn’t _ the one. After all, she had a small list of traits she despised in potential suitors already, and I knew how to not disappoint.”

“Huh, so it’s more like… don’t fuck up?”

_ “Dante. _ I don’t know where you learnt that language, but I suggest you unlearn it.”

“You might want to get on Sera’s case for that. You’ve  _ heard  _ her swear before.”

“Under the right circumstances and agitation. Not casually. Do not make me take drastic measures, Dante. Or I’ll give you something to swear about.”

Knowing that Vergil was only half-serious about it, Dante simply stuck his tongue out at him.

“Foolishness, Dante. Utter foolishness. Now, more to the point, are you asking such questions because of Kassandra?”

Out of a combination of denial, habit, and not wanting to give Vergil the immediate satisfaction, Dante deflected: “What makes you think it has anything to do with Kassy?”

And Vergil proved just how poor the deflection was: “I might be concerned if you are asking about relationships in regards to someone who is not he friend you just bedded.”

Spluttering, Dante then inwardly cursed at himself as Vergil showed him a smug look of “I knew it.” 

“Okay, fine. I know there’s no point of hiding it, but I just don’t know, okay, Verge? She’s, like, from a different world and stuff. And I think there might be some family stuff that makes her hesitant. And I don’t know if I’m really good enough for her? I just don’t know if I should really go for it?”

Of everything mentioned, Vergil found one particular thing of note: “Why would you think you’re not good enough for Kassandra?”

“Well, she’s pretty well off, and seems kinda established as a person, you know? Deep family history, some pretty big family responsibilities with that hell gate and all… what is there I could compare to or contribute to for her?”

And this was probably the most dumbfounded look Vergil has ever given to Dante in his life. “Dante. Look over there, and tell me what that is.” He pointed out with Yamato still in hand. 

“Uh… the hell gate?”

“Yes. And I would like to point out that we grew up in this island’s castle that once belonged to its ruler, and would like to remind you that we  _ are _ the Sons of Sparda. Father may not have intended to raise us here, but we are here now. And we are still here. We could have left, but we remain here in this demonic hotspot, protecting this city and the people within it. It might not be the entire world, but this island here is our world, and our home, and our territory. Are we not part of father’s legacy, then? One that is comparable to Kassandra’s family? And I should also like to point out that, technically, her family is in service to our father.”

Sheepishly, Dante rubbed the back of his neck as he remained in step with Vergil while they turned down one of the seldomly used alleyways to check and make sure nothing lurked. Though, during this time of day, they were more likely to find a passed out drunk citizen they would need to bring out of the alleyway than they were at finding demons. 

“Well, when you put it that way…”

Vergil wasn’t one to interrupt often, not unless he was in a foul mood. And right now, Dante would describe his brother as anything but agitated. 

“Dante, I will admit that I do not quite have your brand of  _ finesse _ or the will to meddle in the way you do for other people, stubbornly interjecting yourself into other people’s affairs, lending a hand so graciously to citizens you often can’t even remember the names of, or even go so far as to tell Sera my presumed feelings for her, which I cannot even be upset about. But perhaps this is a moment for me to return the favor for your meddling: if you so much as have any shred of hope that she would be the one for you, then just remember that if you want it, then you shall have to take it. Take the chance, Dante. And if it does not work out, at least you can avoid a future where you look back at what-could-have-been.”

Though they continued on their patrol route, this left Dante thoughtful and uncharacteristically silent for a while. So, Vergil couldn’t help but tease with his own brand of semi-helpfulness:

_ “He who kisses the joy as it flies  
_ _ Live in eternity’s sunrise.” _

“Awe, come  _ on _ , Verge.”

But it got a smile on his face, and so Vergil knew that it was going to be fine.

* * *

Kassy felt utterly embarrassed as on the next day, Dante asked her in the kitchen: “So, if I were to ask you out on a date, where would you like to go?”

She immediately flushed red and stammered: “Y-you’re actually asking me out?”

“Figured we should give it a shot, yeah. Why not?”

Setting down the knife she was using to cut up tomatoes, she seemed to be forcing herself to not fidget nervously with her hands as she replied: “You’re being serious? You, you took my ramblings seriously? I…”

“Well…” A small part of Dante wondered if he might have misunderstood something. “Are you not interested?”

“No, I mean yes! I mean… everything was all so spur of the moment, so I didn’t think you would want to further it into something more.”

This confused him a little. “Why wouldn’t I? We did kind of confess to liking each other, right? So why not continue?”

“Oh, I… forgive me. This is probably my misunderstanding.” The way she shifted her eyes over made his heart sink. “I grew up being taught how to attract potential mates, but nothing in what I was taught gave me preparation for any kind of long term relationship, because, you know, I’m not meant to be married.”

Oh. 

“So, you’re as new to this as I am, then.” Feeling more at ease, and even somewhat relieved, he smiled. “Then that means we’re both going into this with little expectations on how a perfect date is, because I can tell you right now, I sure don’t know, and Verge will probably give me some boring advice such as going to the library or something.”

Blushing, Kassy finally told him: “Well, a date should be something both parties can enjoy together. You always described your brother as a more solitary type…”

“So then, if I were to take you out on a date…?”

“Let me think about it. I’ve never been on a proper one before. I don’t know what I’d like to do. But I’ll let you know?”

“Sure! And hey, there’s a lot I haven’t experienced yet, either. I guess, in a sense, I was like you at one point. Before we got attacked, Verge and I were being raised far away from the rest of the Redgrave populace. We’re just lucky Fortuna actually respected our connection to our dad. If you want to go to someplace on the mainland again, let me know!” He offered, while his excitement built. 

“Okay, okay!” Finally, she laughed, and the final shreds of tense atmosphere was swept away. “But let me finish what I’m doing for lunch preparations, first.”

Having been ushered out of the kitchen, but with a grin on his face, Dante left and eventually went to his mother, who was sorting through some research materials in the sitting room. A thought occurred to him:

“Hey, mom? Might be a bit of an odd time to ask, and I know it’s been a long time, but how did you and dad meet?”

It was a question that never came up when they were younger, and after the attack, details like that had even less chances of coming up when the brothers were dealing with trauma. But now…

Eva was momentarily surprised at this question, but then her smile came back, even though Dante could read a tinge of bitterness: “Well, it wasn’t anything super romantic, if that’s the kind of story you were hoping to hear. You father, he was stopping by Redgrave for some personal errand, and came across a foreign demon that was hurting people. And I, as the local witch who aids the devil hunters of the area, met Spencer by him bringing an injured hunter to my doorstep.”

“Huh. So he just showed up and introduced himself as a devil hunter passing by?”

Eva’s fond smile now also carried amusement. “Oh, he certainly tried to introduce himself as such, but I knew from the moment he came close to my wards that he wasn’t human. And I told him as much. But from there, it had been conversations filled with accusations, questions, and negotiations. Our main focus at the time was to take care of the demon killing people. I remained in tentative partnership with him for quite a while, before coaxing his true identity out of him. But by then, I didn’t think his identity hardly mattered to me anymore...”

Dante knew how much his mom loved his dad. That reassurance was the crux of what kept the remains of this family together, now that Spencer wasn’t with them. 

“Nothing like those love at first sight plays and stories, huh?”

She shook her head. “No, not quite. Love is always best built with time, don’t you think?”

“Through dates and stuff, right?”

“And so much more than just dates, too. Is there someone on your mind, Dante?”

This has not been the first time she’s asked or teased, and though Dante nervously rubbed the back of his neck and averted his gaze in embarrassment, he finally decided the only way to nip this teasing (and open the next “gate to hell” on this particular mother-to-son interaction) was to admit: “So, I asked Kassy if she’d like to go anywhere for a… a date. And she didn’t say no… said she’ll think of a suggestion or something. And I’ve never actually taken anyone on a date before, so I really hope I don’t mess this up?”

Eva’s entire demeanor brightened. “Oh, sweetie, you do like her, then? And here I thought you might emulate Vergil, and try to keep me in the dark until you can’t keep a relationship hidden anymore.”

“Mom!” Just being reminded of that entire piece of drama made him flush. “No! I mean, okay, I’m nervous as heck! But I promise I’m not going to do anything stupid!”

A mother’s mirth can be a beautiful sound. Eva laughed, and set aside the research materials she was sorting so that she could walk over to her son and reassuringly reach for his hand. “Sweetie, I just want you to be happy. You, and Vergil, both. It was a shock, yes, but we all took that shock and turned it into something wonderful. It’s okay to follow your heart, when you also evaluate with your head. I trust you, and I’ll always be here for you, no matter what happens.”

Dante swallowed, still nervous that somewhere down the line, he might still muck things up. “Thanks, mom.”

“Now, as for Kassy, we’ve gotten to know her for more than a handful of months now, and she is a very sweet young lady who knows how to be proper where it counts. I have no objections to you pursuing her, though, unlike Sera, Kassy does have remaining family members that are a big part of her life. So at some point, you will need to address interaction with them. But that’s something to consider only after the two of you think you’re both serious, okay?”

Some of this was stuff Dante had never considered before, and for once, he paid extra attention to the advice given. And speaking of advice:

“Gotcha. I’ll remember that. But other than that, do you have any, um, tips for dates?”

* * *

Kassy suggested something simple: shopping, and dinner. 

Dante nearly had a small freak-out over the whole dinner thing when he had a moment to himself to think about where to take her. Neither of them really knew what was around on the mainland, and in terms of shopping, that’s best done off of Fortuna for someone with as exotic tastes as her. It took some convincing from his mother to settle his nerves and go with the flow. 

And as it turns out, Kassy didn’t need for everything to be extravagant. Any decent place was a good place for dinner. 

“Take me anywhere! Just like the days where you’d take me to your favorite cafe or pizza parlor in Fortuna, while we waited for your shift to start or end, or when we waited for your brother or for Sera, or both. I enjoyed those moments with you, and I will never stop enjoying them, no matter if it’s a date or not.”

Being the somewhat simple kind of person he was, Dante defaulted to pizza and ice cream a lot. So, their dinner, of course, was pizza. Half and half on the topping choices, though Dante will eat any pizza so long as there aren’t olives on it. He wasn’t even picky about peppers or onions. 

But as for “first date” conversations, Dante realized that there wasn’t much of a new topic to talk about. They already knew each other decently well, and he even said so as much. 

Kassy smiled wistfully to that: “There are always new things to learn, though. I never spoke too much about the other details about my family. Most of our exchanges were often about day to day things. I didn’t think our private family affairs were things I should be telling you, but…”

“Private things are still private, right, you don’t have to tell me. I don’t have to know that stuff if it’s private.”

“But a lot of it does pertain to me. To a part of me. My family’s ongoings and our history is all a part of me. As is yours.” Her smile turned less wistful and more amused. “Your father and the things he did, your mother and what she does, along with how she found herself in the presence of the Dark Knight… your brother and the ups and downs of his life that you were privy to, all makes up your story, too. So maybe, over time, we will find parts of it worth sharing?”

It was a very interesting perspective. And now that he thought about it, Sera had shared her side with them in her own way, and eventually, Dante and Vergil had shared bits of their side with her. A lot of it happened over the course of being childhood friends. 

And he’s not going to lie. He was very curious about certain things about Kassy. 

“You’re right. A lot of our letters tend to be about daily lives, and we never tried to dig too deep into private thoughts save for once in a while. And… well, there’s a lot I’d like to know then. I guess I’m in the same boat as you: there’s not a lot of people like us. And your family has been around for a long while. I’m pretty curious about that stuff. Like, was it hard? Always having to be isolated?”

“Well, the isolation only got worse in recent decades. Humans can live more comfortably in day to day lives now, but on some parts, ignorance has grown. Despite that, we still uphold the pact our family has with your father, to monitor the gate and protect the surrounding area. But outside of the act we have to put on for the humans, and the carefulness of how we distance ourselves from society without cutting off from them, it wasn’t ever meant to be hard.”

“What do you mean by it wasn’t meant to be hard?” He asked while grabbing another slice of pizza, content to hear her talk about her family’s perspective. 

“Well, we live under a powerful demon lord, after all. There are certain demonic amenities that can make for entertainment, but beyond that, those that live on the island should never be lonely. A given generation would have many siblings and cousins. Our ancestor and patron came from a hive structure. Taking care of each other is fulfilling to us. I’ve heard that at one point, the manor was filled. No empty bedrooms. And there’s about 18 individual rooms.”

He had been drinking his soda at that moment, and nearly choked. “18? So, like, 18 people? That’s…”

“It was 5 adults and about 15 children in between them. Sadly, our responsibilities to hunt down demons often cause for an early death. Rarely do we have anyone who survives past their 40s. But it’s also in our nature to fight for our cause and for our home until our dying breath. That is what it means to be a protector of the hive, after all.”

Dante was intrigued, but knew that if he kept digging, they might sit at this pizzeria for hours. He decided to save some of this conversation for later as his thoughts strayed. “You only have two brothers, though?”

“The recent generations have been… rough. We haven’t been as plentiful as before.” 

She certainly seemed sad about this, and then Dante realized he rarely heard her mention her mother: “Is your mother okay?”

“Ah…” Biting the bottom of her lip, she finally revealed: “I’m sorry, my mother passed away a little while ago while chasing down an occultic lead. I didn’t think it was appropriate to bog you with the depressing news, especially because our family tend to keep to ourselves and mourn among ourselves, so I…”

“Damn.” And he really did mean it as a curse. “Damn, Kassy, I’m sorry to hear that, I…”

“It’s in the past now. We knew this day would come. She had my brothers and I relatively late, too, so we were lucky to still have her in our lives for so long. She was the only adult in our lives, though. If anyone had it rough, it was our mother, after her only sister left.”

This depressing topic seemed to be out of place for a date. After a moment of consideration, Dante finally found himself to respond: “I think I can understand. I nearly lost mom once. And probably even Verge. We were… I’ve told you this before, but we were very young back then. It was frightening. And I can’t imagine how rough it would have been if we really did come out worse.” Not wanting to continue thinking of that traumatic event, however, he tried to turn the tone of the conversation around:

“Though, now I’m wondering, if dad had… if dad had stuck around, I wonder if Vergil and I would have more siblings. That’s a bit of a scary thought. But… also kind of… nice. I mean, okay, Verge can be kind of mean for a big brother, but I don’t know maybe it’s because we’re twins. I don’t know how that really works. But maybe a younger sister would have it better? He might be nicer to a sibling that is actually a year or more younger. I know I would!”

Kassy laughed. “Well, my brothers might be able to answer you better about that. But big brothers often want to be a bit mean, in my experience. Have I told you…”

The rest of dinner was filled with further exchanges about their relationships with their siblings, some of which were retellings from their letters. But said retellings felt livelier, in person. 

And then, quite a bit of shopping was done before and after dinner. Kassy’s favorite shops were unsurprisingly clothing stores, and at first, Dante wasn’t sure if this was anything super special as a date event. But as it turns out, she valued his input, even if he thinks she’ll look good in anything. 

And though she had the money to afford just about anything, he specifically dipped into what savings he had for this day. When work coincided with your instincts to patrol, and most of your daily needs were provided for because the Order wanted to keep on his mother’s good side, most of Dante’s money went towards frivolous things. Still, despite that, he didn’t use up all of it, and now he had no qualms with blowing it all on a few expensive articles of clothing for Kassy.

But, by the end of the evening, Kassy still graciously and insistently purchased something for him: A new coat to add to his wardrobe. 

“Red suits you. And it’s a good colour. A lucky colour. I’m lucky to get to know you.” 

For all the extravagance Dante seems to live under, if only because they live in a castle way too big for three (now two, with one guest) people, he didn’t have too much going on in his wardrobe. He had his favorite coat, two sets of his uniform that were probably the fanciest things he owned, and then a various collection of plain shirts and pants. 

For a long while he didn’t really put much effort into expanding that wardrobe. Fortuna wasn’t really a place for fashionable shopping. And he wore his uniform out more than his casual stuff. 

“If I told you you really don’t have to buy this for me, you’d just tell me no and make me take it anyway, right?” He laughed as he appraised the coat in question. 

“Exactly. Besides, there is joy in gifting. Joy in seeing joy in the people you care about.”

Well, when she says that, he can’t and won’t argue. “I’ll second that.”

* * *

“Sera, check this out!” Was the first thing Dante said when she let him into the apartment. Vergil was apparently out, and before Sera could do much as respond, the moment Dante stepped inside and closed the door, he turned to Nero, who was sitting on the floor among cushions, toys, and exclaimed:

“Hey kiddo! Look! Uncle Dante has a new coat!”

Nero was only about as interested in Dante’s new coat as he was interested in anything eye-catching that moved: and that was to reach out in joy as Dante picked the boy up. 

While Nero babbled and made noises for a bit, Sera took a look at Dante’s attire and said: “Not bad. I don’t think it goes well with your current pants though. Should probably find something that actually takes a belt. Maybe consider something other than a t-shirt, too. Could get a vest or something.”

“Am I hearing you right? Are you trying to give fashion advice?” He laughed. 

“Well, who else are you going to get fashion advice from? Your brother? I’m sure Vergil would be happy to…”

A grin was already tugging at the corner of her mouth, and Dante laughed even more: “Yeah, and hound me for being too casual when he really overdresses when it comes to fashion! But I noticed he’s loosened up his style a bit, recently. Your doing?”

“Only a little. I do like that he can make the overly formal traditional style look good on him, but it isn’t always practical, isn’t it? He’s figured out that some of his energy is better spent elsewhere now...” She reached out, and Nero reached from Dante’s arms toward her and babbled some more. He handed the kid back to Sera. 

“Isn’t that right, my little Angel? And you like to tug at anything interesting, and you sometimes drool on papa’s coat when you fall asleep on him.”

Hearing that, Dante had to snicker. “Oh I’m sure Verge didn’t like that.”

“As such, a few more basic articles of clothing can be necessary. But really, you should consider a few new extra matching pieces to go with the new coat.”

“Yeah. Maybe I’ll ask Kassy. See what she thinks would look best.”

“Oh, then I take it your first date went well?”

“Well, how can you tell if it goes good or bad?”

“Did you both enjoy yourselves?”

“She seemed pretty happy at the end of it so I’d say so?”

“And how about the first kiss?”

“That… hey! Now you’re starting to sound like those girls at the pastry store in the mornings, looking for juicy gossip!”

Dante’s indignant change of tone amused Nero immensely, and the little one laughed even though he probably had no idea what could be so amusing. 

“Well, you’re my best friend. I think I’m allowed to be privy to such details, right? Besides, if you didn’t say something about her or do something about her pining, soon, I probably would have done something in your stead. Like you did, back then, for us. She has it for you bad, you know.” 

“Does she? Wait, you knew she, uh…”

“I wouldn't say I knew for certain. But she was certainly fond of you in some capacity. I do know, however, that a romance is an utter fairytale for her. And if you really do come to like her, then you’ll really be her white knight, you know.”

Feeling somewhat abashed, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Gee, that’s a bit much, don’t you think? I didn’t think she really liked me, and I don’t know if I can live up to that…”

“Really? Dante, you really don’t see it, don’t you?” Sera seemed infinitely amused, as she teased: “For all the differences you two have, you and Vergil really are twins. Oblivious and have problems admitting your own feelings. And you’re a  _ Son of Sparda _ for Saviour’s sake. I mean, yes, I’m about as jaded as you when it comes to the reverence there, but your dad was still impressive. Heck, your mother is also impressive. And so are you and Vergil.”

Feeling chastised, Dante pouted. “I’m not bad at admitting my feelings! I had hoped she might be interested…”

“And Vergil said the same, but didn’t actually act on it until someone else pushed. Two peas in a pod.” And Sera tweaked his nose with one hand, while Nero giggled and reached forward from her other arm and tried to reach and imitate what his mother just did. 

Dante didn’t pull away until after allowing her to perform her sisterly gesture, and then mocked a scowl: “Are you this mean to Verge, too?”

“When I tease him, he just tells me to not treat him like he’s you. To which I remind him, I would never treat him like he’s you, because you’re not the one I share my bed with. As for the rest of that night, I’ll spare you the details.”

_ “Please. _ Thanks.” He responded in exaggerated disgust. Meanwhile, Nero hasn’t stopped trying to reach towards him, and made a sound of frustration. So Dante just grinned, and leaned in just enough so that the tyke could bap him on the nose with his tiny hand. Nero giggled, and Dante laughed with him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The “How did you meet dad” scenario described actually has a fic! You can check it out here: [The Man Behind the Devil’s Mask](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26798569)  
> \- Slowly moving Dante’s wardrobe on to a new look, so obviously next is something approximate to his DMC1 look, right?   
> \- It’s been *almost* 100 days since my last update here. Though, to be fair, I wrote 70k words for other DMC fics during the first 40 days. And then I nearly died (that’s a joke, I was mostly fine!!). The entire time I was sick I was plagued with guilt. :’D

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies to my readers that comment who are not registered users, but in order to minimize undesired commentary from insensitive people, I refuse to allow them to hide behind the ability to make me guess on the source of such comments. I have life and a family to take care of outside of my fanworks, and stress from fanworks is undesired. I still love each and every one of you who have commented without an account, and I hope you continue to enjoy reading my works.


End file.
